Living Free
by CynicalLion
Summary: After waking up in Vault 111 to find that his family is dead, 17-year-old Asher "Ash" Reeves decides that the post-apocalyptic world he wakes up in is the perfect world to finally start living the way he always wished he could.
1. Tags & Warnings

Characters: Porter Gage, H1-87/Skye (Original Courser Character), Shank

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Warnings/Tags: Canon Divergence, Blood and Gore, Drug Use, Underage Drinking, Underage Smoking, Corpses as Decorations, Drinking, Smoking, Spoilers, Heavily Uses In-Game Dialogue, Crossdressing, Claustrophobia, Suicidal Thoughts, Suicidal Tendencies, Religious Imagery & Symbolism, Selective Physics, Bad Eating Habits, Mental Health Issues, Mental Instability, Video Game Mechanics, Sadism, Older Man/Younger Man Relationship, Fluff, Domestic Fluff, Non-Explicit Sex, Mutation

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The main character is underage in the beginning, but he ages.


	2. The Minutemen

Chapter Specific Characters: Codsworth, Preston Garvey, Sturges, Marcy Long, Mama Murphy, Jun Long

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It was a typical fall day in Sanctuary Hills where Asher, or Ash as he preferred, Reeves lived with his parents Nate and Nora and his baby brother Shaun. He was currently sat on the couch, drinking coffee while he watched the news. It was boring as hell, listening to stories about a war he wouldn't be allowed to join for at least another year, but that was all there was to do this early in the morning in their nice, suburban cul-de-sac.

Letting out a sigh as he heard Nate come into the kitchen, Ash glanced over to watch Codsworth pour his father a mug of coffee. Nate thanked him, of course, like Codsworth wasn't just a machine designed to do their bidding. Turning his attention back to the TV, Ash was vaguely aware of Nora entering the room and then the sound of Shaun crying interrupted the quiet morning.

Tuning out the rest, Ash was only brought back to the moment by the doorbell ringing. Nate began to speak to a far-too-cheerful and somehow also nervous salesman about something or other. He didn't listen in, not caring enough. After a bit, Nora took a seat on the couch beside him but left shortly after, walking into the back with Nate to check on Shaun.

Continuing to watch TV as Codsworth hovered nearby, Ash saw the report come in. Missiles. It was really happening. All that nonsense about the end of the world hadn't been nonsense after all. The powers that be were really launching the nukes. Codsworth called for Nate and Nora as Ash sat enraptured by the TV and they hurried in, hearing the urgency in his voice.

As the final confirmation came in, Nate yelled for them to move, to get to the vault not far away. It took Ash a moment to register that he should be moving, but he stood before either of his parents felt the need to yell at him and joined them in running to their only hope of survival. He wasn't scared per se, death came to everyone and if his time to go was right now in nuclear hellfire, then that was that. Still, he supposed, if he didn't have to die then and there, that wouldn't be terrible, and so he ran.

After a brief hold-up at the gate, they made it to the entrance to Vault 111. Just in the nick of time too, the bomb detonating in the distance sending a wall of heat washing over them as the shockwave hit before the blast doors could fully close above them. Still, they made it. They were alive after all. Ash let out a sigh and Nate took it as him needing comfort. Too shocked to shrug his hand off, Ash followed his parents as they moved with the crowd, collecting their vault-suits and being ushered further into the vault.

Changing into his suit, Ash looked at the decontamination pods they were supposed to get into and decided to get it over with before Nate or Nora could try comforting him further. Eventually his whole family was set up to get decontaminated and the pods closed. Then everything got really cold really quickly. Ash's breath slowed as his blood turned to sludge and then ice and everything went black quickly after. It hurt a little, being frozen solid.

When Ash woke up next, he felt slow and still far too cold. The pod door was still closed and he couldn't really move or make his brain think thoughts that weren't about the cold. He vaguely registered the sound of voices and two people walking past his pod. Ash could hear another voice suddenly, frantic, and then crying. Nora and Shaun, he realized sleepily, his brain only vaguely registering the sound of a gunshot before he was asleep again, the cold taking him once more.

An indeterminable amount of time later, the cold began to ebb away once more, but this time it kept going until his body could move and his brain could think. Letting out a breath, Ash pushed weakly against the door to his pod and was shocked when it actually opened. He hadn't expected that and his body actually wasn't ready for the sudden freedom. Ash fell forward, coughing and gasping at the comparably boiling air outside the pod. The thawing hurt infinitely worse than the freezing had.

After catching his breath somewhat, Ash stood slowly, swaying a bit but managing to stay upright. The memories of the half-thaw from before slowly came back to him and he stumbled up to Nora's cryo-pod. Shaun was gone but the blood painting the back of the pod, half-thawed and dripping sluggishly, told him all he needed to know about Nora's status. Next he looked in on Nate's pod. He looked about as thawed out as Nora but he was equally still and as Ash checked the vitals display nearby, he saw Nate was also dead.

_Alone_. Ash was alone. No parents, no younger sibling, and judging by the lack of footfalls despite the alarm blaring overhead, it appeared there were no Vault-Tec employees either. Rubbing his arms a bit in a vain attempt to get some warmth back into them, Ash left the room with the pods and slowly made his way through the indeed-abandoned vault. He checked terminals as he went, getting the story behind what happened piece-by-piece.

As he went, Ash came across the largest roach he'd ever seen in his life and as it ran towards him, he picked up a police baton from a nearby table and took a swing, killing the roach easily with the unyielding metal of the stick. Moving on after a moment of waiting to make sure the roach was indeed dead, Ash went to the next room. There he found more roaches he had to dispatch and then more. "What the fuck?" Ash muttered, feeling like a damn exterminator.

Going the only way he could, Ash found himself in the room containing the emergency escape tunnel he needed in order to get out of Vault 111. In the same room, he found a gun and picked it up, feeling better having a firearm since apparently the vault was infested with roaches. Ash read over the terminal entries and then opened the tunnel up, feeling relieved that the terminal even still worked given the state of disrepair everything was in. He walked out into the hall and sighed when he found more roaches.

They were much easier to dispatch with the pistol he now had and Ash finally found himself in the room with the vault door that would lead him to freedom. After dispatching a couple more roaches, Ash walked up to the control panel and stumbled a bit as his foot hit the skeleton laying there. Looking down, he noticed the Pip-Boy on the skeletal arm and shrugged lightly, taking the wrist computer for himself. Now equipped with the final tool he needed to secure his freedom, Ash activated the door and finally got out of Vault 111.

As the blast doors above him finally came into view and then parted, Ash gasped, using his arm to shield his eyes as the sun assaulted them. It felt like he'd spent centuries underground and Ash had to turn his gaze to the ground in order to find enough relief for his eyes to adjust to the brightness of the outside world. With his family all either dead or missing, Ash didn't really know what to do. The world around him looked awful, the bomb having apparently done quite a number on everything.

While pondering his options for a time, Ash saw the remains of Sanctuary Hills down below and decided that he might as well start there. Maybe there were supplies he could scavenge from his old house. He'd have stabbed someone then and there for something to eat. Nodding to himself, Ash started off down the hill, heading for what used to be his home. As he crossed the now dilapidated bridge and walked down the road, Ash saw something that made him pause.

Squinting in disbelief, Ash came closer and laughed a little in an incredulous way as he saw Codsworth there, trimming the hedges as though such a stupid thing mattered with the state the world was in. Codsworth whirled around when Ash laughed and let out an approximation of a gasp, as though he needed to breathe. His next statement was even more absurd than the gasping noise he'd made.

"As I live and breathe!" Codsworth cried, sounding close to tears he couldn't shed. "It's-it's really you!"

"Yeah." Ash muttered, still finding Codsworth annoying despite him being the first friendly thing he'd come across so far. "What happened to everything?" He asked, having a hard time believing that it was simply the bombs that made everything look so bad, so **decayed**.

"Well, besides our geraniums still being the envy of Sanctuary Hills, I'm afraid I haven't anything eventful to report." Codsworth replied, tone going bland for a moment before perking back up. "Things will be so much more exciting with you and the family back! Where are your parents, by the by?" He asked, tone dipping again as he looked around with his three eye-stalks.

"Dead." Ash replied coldly, not seeming affected in the least.

"What a somber thing to say." Codsworth hummed, something like a pout in his voice. "I believe you need a distraction. Yes! A distraction to calm this mood you're in." He decided, seeming to switch between moods faster than usual. "It's been ages since we had a proper family activity. Checkers. Or perhaps charades. Shaun does so love that game. Where-where is your baby brother?" Codsworth asked, tone dipping once again as though, deep down, he suspected what Ash was going to say next.

"I don't know. I think someone kidnapped him." Ash said, starting to feel annoyed. He didn't want to talk about Shaun or his dead parents. Right now all Ash wanted was something to eat.

"It's worse than I thought." Codsworth hummed, making Ash believe he'd finally come out of his delirium. "You're suffering from hunger-induced paranoia!" He decided, not seeming to notice how Ash scrubbed his hand over his face. "Not eating properly for two-hundred years will do that, I'm afraid." Codsworth chortled, pausing as Ash's head snapped up from his hand to look at him again.

"Two-hundred years?" He asked quietly, looking away and shaking his head lightly. "No, there's no way."

"A bit over two-hundred-ten, actually, sir." Codsworth corrected, bobbing in lieu of a nod. "Give or take a little for the Earth's rotation and a few minor dings to the ol' chronometer." He added, giving a light laugh and continuing before Ash could respond. "That means you're two centuries late for dinner! Your parents won't be pleased." Codsworth said, voice dropping to a conspiratory tone. "How about a quick snack before they show up, hm? You must be famished."

Deciding he didn't care how long it'd been if it meant finally getting some food, Ash nodded. "Yeah, alright. Food sounds great." He agreed, following Codsworth into the remains of his old house. As Codsworth rummaged around in the counters and cupboards, Ash looked around, his attention only being pulled back when Codsworth called his name and offered him a box of Sugar Bombs. Not an ideal meal after a two-hundred year long fast, but Ash decided to take what he could get, digging into the box eagerly as Codsworth started talking again.

"Now, I've been thinking, if something is amiss, your family may simply be hiding. From-" Codsworth lowered his voice as though afraid someone would hear. "-the Red Menace." He practically whispered, making Ash choke on his Sugar Bombs as he snorted out a laugh.

"Seriously?" Ash scoffed, looking at Codsworth incredulously. "I don't think the "Red Menace" is still a problem two-hundred years after the apocalypse."

Seeming to not hear Ash, Codsworth carried on. "I have an idea! Let's search the neighborhood together. After all, your family, they're-they're my family too." The little break in Codsworth's voice as he uttered that almost made Ash believe he had feelings.

Almost. Ash was about to say no, but he'd finished the Sugar Bombs Codsworth had given him and weighed his options. Sighing, Ash decided a survey of the neighborhood might present an opportunity to find more food and at least if he went with Codsworth, the robot could deal with any danger they came across. "Alright." Ash muttered, rolling his eyes as Codsworth gave a cry of joy and took the lead, floating off to the first house he sensed movement in.

With Codsworth leading the way, they came across some of the biggest flies Ash had ever seen. He decided to hang back and let Codsworth deal with the oversized bugs, having had his fill for the day back at the vault. Once they'd been dispatched, Ash walked up cautiously, looking around as Codsworth hummed.

"Nothing but a few flies." He murmured, pepping up instantly. "But my sensors are picking up movement in another house!"

Rolling his eyes again, Ash followed Codsworth, making note of a fridge in the first house that looked promising. They moved on to another house closer to the cul-de-sac's circle and Ash looked in from a distance. More flies. It looked like this house had been used as a makeshift shelter by someone though, the furniture looking like it'd been stacked into a barricade. Once the flies were dealt with, Ash came over, deciding that this house had less to offer than the first.

"You're-you're family isn't here either. They're-they're really gone aren't they?" Codsworth fake-sobbed, making Ash sigh.

"Just like I already told you." He muttered, hand itching in an odd way that a light scratch didn't help.

"I was only trying to help, sir!" Codsworth defended, coming up with another idea quickly. "Maybe you could try Concord? I've seen people in that area and they're only slightly heavily armed." He suggested, apparently feeling like he was really helping.

"Sure, send the teenager with barely any combat experience to talk to "slightly heavily armed" strangers out in the apocalyptic hellscape." Ash responded sarcastically, itch making him angry enough that he didn't bother to try and take the edge off his tone. "What could go wrong?"

"That's the spirit, sir!" Codsworth cheered, bobbing up and down happily. "I shall remain here and secure the home-front!" He declared, floating past Ash and out the door.

Realizing now that the itch was the urge to reach for the gun on his hip, Ash stopped trying to scratch his hand. Like hell he was going to Concord. He was going to check all of the houses that were still standing for supplies and then he would decide what to do from there. Fueled by anger and Sugar Bombs, Ash got to work. It took him a few hours to check every house in Sanctuary Hills and when he finished, Ash holed up in his old home and sat down on the moldering couch that was still there. As he ate, Ash finally let his situation sink in fully.

His parents were both dead, Nora having been shot and Nate not surviving the full thaw. They were out of the picture. His brother had been kidnapped, apparently, and as far as Ash was concerned, that meant he was dead too. He was out of the picture. Codsworth, despite what he thought, was akin to a butler, not family. He had never been in the picture. Ash was alone in a world apparently two-hundred years ravaged by the apocalypse.

Humming lightly around a mouthful of Fancy Lads, Ash laid back on the couch, propping his feet on the armrest. What was he going to do now? He hadn't had a plan for his life before the war, it wouldn't have mattered if he had since he almost certainly would've been drafted on his eighteenth birthday, and he still had no plan now. What was a teen to do all by himself in an apocalyptic wasteland?

And then it suddenly dawned on Ash. Whatever the fuck he wants. Who was going to stop him? The government clearly didn't exist anymore since they were supposed to be the ones to provide relief for the Vault-Tec staff and he'd read that they hadn't. Maybe there was some sort of local government that he'd need to contend with, but Ash wasn't too worried. As far as he was concerned, he should've died two-hundred years ago when people started dropping nuclear bombs on eachother and since he hadn't, he was going to live free. Every disturbing thought or urge that he'd ever had to talk about at his twice-monthly therapy sessions was now fair game.

As a soft yet grating humming wafted in from outside, Ash knew exactly what disturbing urge he was going to start with. Polishing off the last of his cake as the itch in his hand returned, Ash grabbed the shotgun he'd looted from a safe in someone's house and strolled outside. The first shot took Codsworth by surprise and by the second shot, his outer body-casing was shredded and he was demanding to know exactly what Ash thought he was doing. Ignoring the question, Ash took out the switchblade he always used to carry on his person and darted forward.

Reaching into Codsworth, Ash started cutting wires with reckless abandon. Codsworth's programming kept him from fighting back until it was too late. By the time his programming was overridden due to damage, Ash had already severed too many wires and Codsworth was beginning to malfunction. Ash quickly moved back as Codsworth took a wild swing at him with his saw-blade and then ran several yards further away as Codsworth's whole body began to shake.

Hearing a boom, Ash looked back to see Codsworth's broken body laying in the grass, still smoking from the explosion that had destroyed him. Stopping and panting lightly, Ash grinned wildly. That had been so exhilarating! Laughing a bit in disbelief at how amazing that had felt, Ash walked back to Codsworth and kicked him lightly to turn him a bit. He laughed again and went back inside, deciding that his old home, this entire old cul-de-sac of his, would make the perfect home-base for him. A lair to return to between dark deeds out in the wastes.

Nodding to himself and feeling more alive than he ever had before, Ash got to work. It took a month for him to get Sanctuary Hills to where he wanted it to be between breaks to scavenge food even with the way the workshop made everything easier. Ash had gone skull-collecting, taking every skull from every skeleton he found in Sanctuary Hills, Vault 111, and the path leading up to it. With those skulls and scraps of metal from the destroyed houses all around, he created decorations, trying to make his new home look imposing. Ash also managed to build quite a few defenses, both traps and turrets, using the workshop and was fairly pleased by the end result. The cleaning had taken the longest time but it had yielded so much scrap for him to use that it had been worth it.

Now that he was satisfied with his home, Ash found himself directionless once more. Codsworth's hollow shell was one of his decorations and as he gazed at it with more adoration than he'd ever felt for the robot himself, Ash thought that perhaps he could find some people to make into decorations. Maybe people like those slightly heavily armed people in Concord. He'd already done it to a few animals that had wandered into his home, so he knew it would look good.

Pleased with his plan, Ash took a moment to change out of his vault suit before packing some supplies into an old backpack he'd found and setting off for Concord. It's not that the vault suit was bad, but he was more of a jeans and t-shirt kind of guy and he'd found just that, as well as most of his other clothes, decently preserved in his old room.

The walk to Concord took Ash past a Red Rocket truck stop that he'd been to many times before the war. It was decayed like everything else in this world but Ash decided to check it for supplies. That turned out to be a smart choice as he found some food and medicine. Taking whatever else looked useful, Ash carried on, having to take out some giant pink mosquitoes on the road. They didn't prove much of a threat since Ash didn't really need good aim to tear them apart with his shotgun.

Checking houses on the way, Ash found yet more supplies and then he heard gunshots and shouting coming from further inside Concord. Hiding behind a building, Ash peeked out and saw a group of people getting picked off from above by a single man with a bigger gun. Either the man was a terrible shot or he was hoping the misses would scare the other people off because he was certainly taking his sweet time picking them off.

Getting impatient quickly, Ash dove for cover behind an old truck and took out a woman near him with his pistol. The others didn't notice since she was pretty far from the main group so Ash took her position. From there, he shot another person and this one was noticed. The group seemed torn between the man on the balcony and himself and Ash took the opportunity to shoot a man. The man on the balcony actually hit one and then there were two. One of them came running to where Ash was hiding brandishing a tire iron which made Ash laugh softly. What she'd thought she was going to do with that when he had a gun, he wasn't sure, but now she was dead and it didn't matter.

Staying low as the last one had a gun, Ash waited until he heard the cry of pain and then nothing before he peeked up to see that the last of the group was dead. Now it was just him and the balcony guy. Moving fast and staying low, Ash moved between sandbag barricades trying to get closer to the building so his bullet would actually reach the balcony. Once he finally got in range, the man on the balcony surprised him by speaking.

"Hey! Up here, on the balcony!" He shouted, as though Ash could possibly miss him. "I've got a group of settlers inside! The raiders are almost through the door! Help us, please!" And then he ducked back inside, making Ash frown a bit.

Raiders? He supposed that's what these corpses used to call themselves. After considering for a moment, Ash decided to go for it. He checked the dead raiders for valuables and ammo and then went inside, immediately ducking behind a pillar as there was a raider up on a higher floor. Their attention was on another upper floor so Ash snuck into the hall he was near. He crept through the dusty museum, ignoring the ancient history it tried to teach him and came upon a raider guarding a doorway.

They were distracted by the shoot-out going on above so Ash was able to creep up and stab them with his switch. Keeping up the sneaky approach since it'd worked so far, Ash managed to kill the raider on the second floor with his pistol. There was a raider on the third floor and he spotted Ash, shouting and trying to shoot him, but Ash dove for cover. Apparently raider attention spans were short because Ash had barely finished breaking into a gate near his hiding spot when the raider decided shooting at the door Balcony Man was hiding behind would be a better option than waiting for him to show back up.

Climbing the broken floor and then the stairs in front of him quickly, Ash ducked into a hallway just as a bullet whizzed past him. Down the hall, he could hear raiders talking and decided to go for a less subtle approach this time. Pulling the pin from a grenade he'd found in Sanctuary Hills, Ash threw it into the room. The raiders didn't notice until it was too late and then the grenade went off, killing them both instantly.

After waiting a bit to make sure there weren't any other raiders in the room, Ash walked out from his hiding spot. There was some gear that was surprisingly undamaged by the grenade blast and he collected it before heading up the stairs to the third floor. The raider that tried to shoot him would be on this floor so Ash went back into stealth mode, crouching and trying to step lightly. He heard a raider yelling at Balcony Man and his settlers and even though he tried to be stealthy, he managed to catch his attention by shooting the raider that had shot at him.

The raider swore and Ash heard two sets of heavy footfalls coming towards him. Ash held his breath and when the first raider came around the corner, he got shot in the head. Before the second one could round the corner, Ash ducked into another room on the hallway and crouched low, waiting. The footfalls came softer and as the raider rounded the corner on Ash's hiding spot, weapon raised to bludgeon him over the head, Ash fired. The shot hit the raider in the leg and caused him to swear and stagger and Ash took the opening to shoot him in the head.

Shaking slightly from adrenaline, Ash stayed where he was for a bit. His breath came out stuttery and his hands were just about the only part of him not trembling. After a moment, Ash stood and stepped over the raider corpse. He walked out into the hall and Balcony Man shouted for him to get in the room before more raiders could arrive. Feeling far away from himself, Ash's feet obeyed before his mind could process the command and when he suddenly snapped back to himself, he was in the room, the door closed securely behind him, and Balcony Man was talking to him.

"Man, I don't know who you are but your timing's impeccable." Balcony Man said, sounding relieved and more than a little awed. "Preston Garvey, Commonwealth Minutemen."

"Ash." He responded, not bothering to provide his last name since it really didn't matter.

"Since you've helped us this much, we could use some more good will. As you can see, we're in a bit of a mess here." Preston responded, hiding it well if he was bothered by Ash's cold demeanor.

"What d'you need?" Ash asked, deciding to play along for awhile since he didn't have anything better to do.

"A month ago, there were twenty of us. Yesterday there were eight. Now, we're five." Preston started, not seeming to notice how Ash's expression quickly went from a fairly neutral frown to an annoyed scowl. "First it was the ghouls in Lexington, now this mess."

"That's a fuckin' shame, but it doesn't tell me what kind of help you need." Ash said testily, unable, no, unwilling to stop himself. Living free now meant he was allowed to be an asshole, he decided, no more pretending to be a polite young man. This wasn't the world for such pleasant bullshit.

Clearly offended by Ash's attitude but deciding to put it aside for the sake of their group, Preston got to the point. "Right. We figured Concord would be a safe place to settle, but those raiders proved us wrong." He said, hurrying on before Ash could say something rude. "But we do have one idea for that."

"I might die of anticipation." Ash replied blankly, hand starting to itch.

Sighing, Preston looked to his side at a man typing away clumsily at a terminal. "Sturges? Tell him."

"There's a crashed vertibird up on the roof; old school, pre-war. You might've seen it." Sturges started, ceasing his typing to lean on the desk the terminal was on. "Well, looks like one of its passengers left behind a seriously sweet goody. We're talking a full suit of T-45 power armor, military issue." He paused, as if he expected Ash to be impressed.

Decidedly not impressed, Ash moved his hand in a circular motion, realizing that the motion was likely out-dated and no longer understood as the "keep going" it was meant to be. "And?" He asked when the hand motion didn't make Sturges keep talking.

"Get the suit, and you can rip the minigun right off the vertibird." Sturges explained, making the motion with his hands. "Do that and those raiders get an express ticket to hell, you dig?"

Annoyed that "you dig" managed to survive while his gesture hadn't, it took Ash a moment to respond. "I guess that sounds pretty fun." He admitted, quite liking the idea of ripping through raiders with a minigun without having to worry about getting shot back.

"I know right?" Sturges replied enthusiastically, voice dropping a bit as he frowned. "Only there's one hitch. The suit's out of juice, probably been dry for a hundred years. It can be powered up again, but we're a bit stuck."

Expecting Sturges to keep going and laughing in barely contained murderous intent when he didn't, Ash realized he needed to speak up again. "So what do I do?" He asked, scratching his hand even though he knew it wouldn't help calm the ever-intensifying itch.

"What you'll need is an old pre-war fusion core." Preston cut in, making Ash cringe a bit, having preferred Sturges' laid-back attitude to Preston's holier-than-thou savior act. "And we know right where to find one."

"But," Sturges cut in, giving Ash whiplash. "we can't get to the damn thing. It's down in the basement, locked behind a security gate." He sighed, tone suggesting he didn't like to admit his short-comings. "Look, I fix stuff, I tinker, bypassing security ain't exactly my forte." Sturges said, sounding weirdly defensive, like maybe others in the group had given him shit about not being able to get the core for them. "You could give it a shot though."

Seeing an end to this unnecessarily long conversation within his reach, Ash reached into his pack and pulled the core out. "I grabbed that earlier." He said, smirking a bit when Sturges looked impressed.

"Well alright, maybe our luck's finally turning around." Preston said, not catching the grin that cracked Ash's face for just a second before the younger man turned to look at him, blank-faced once more. "Once you jack the core into the power armor and grab that minigun, those raiders'll know they picked the wrong fight. Good luck."

Rolling his eyes in lieu of a response, Ash left the room. At least he'd get to satisfy his literal itch for murder now. Killing a few more raiders before killing Preston and his little group seemed like a nice warm-up. Walking out onto the roof, Ash found the power armor immediately and pushed the core into the back. Having seen people enter suits of power armor before, Ash rotated the wheel around the core-port and stepped into the armor after it opened up. There was brief start-up period and then Ash was able to move.

Smirking a bit at what was essentially his own personal tank, Ash ripped the minigun off the vertibird and jumped off the roof, knowing that the power armor would cushion his fall. It almost wasn't fun, ripping through the raiders on the ground as easily as he did. Almost. Then, as more raiders came from both of the roads that led onto the road he was on, Ash saw some metal grating on the ground give a heave like something massive underneath was trying to break free. Through the rush of blood in his ears, Ash heard growling and then a few more bangs, saw a few more heaves, before the grate broke apart and a massive creature pulled itself up onto the road.

Swearing softly, Ash let rip with the minigun at the clearly unfriendly creature, surprised at the tiny amount of damage it seemed to be doing. Despite Ash's attack, the raiders were closer, so the creature tore them apart first, taking down two before turning its rage on Ash. By then, the minigun had done enough damage that the creature only managed to swipe it's claws at Ash's chest, causing long gashes in the armor, before it fell. Unable to spare the time to make sure the beast was dead, Ash reloaded his minigun as quickly as he could and tore through the final raiders, deciding the beast was indeed dead at that point since it hadn't gotten back up.

Pressing the eject button, Ash hopped out of the power armor and walked up to the dead creature, examining it without touching it. Laughing a bit at the sheer size and muscle of the damn thing, Ash realized he was lucky he hadn't killed those settlers inside the museum before learning about the power armor. If he'd faced this thing without the power armor, he might not have made it.

Jittery from adrenaline, Ash walked back to the museum, practically stumbling up the small stairs and trying to collect himself before he walked in. He made it up to Preston and the others without tripping over his own shaky legs and was even too high to be annoyed when Preston decided to start talking.

"That was a pretty amazing display." Preston said slowly, sounding just a tad afraid. "I'm just glad you're on our side."

How wrong could one man be in a day? "I'm not on your side." Ash said coldly, enjoying slightly how Preston's face fell. Then it hardened a bit.

"Hmph. You know, you act like a jerk, but you still helped us out." He pointed out, not seeming to notice the little twitch one of Ash's lower eyelids gave at the incredibly smug tone he said it with. "Listen, you **really** helped us out and we all owe you our lives. So, here, it isn't much, but it's the best way I can say thank you." Preston said, handing Ash a handkerchief full of bottlecaps and some fusion cells.

Blinking at the offering, the bottle caps in particular, Ash gave a shrug. "You're welcome, I guess." He muttered, unsure of what to make of the bottlecaps. He'd found tins full of the things littering Sanctuary Hills when he'd cleaned it and he'd kept them but only because he'd planned to make chimes out of the caps and some bones. Now he was thinking maybe these bottlecaps were worth something. Maybe they were currency in this world? Why else would somebody carry around so many and give them out as rewards?

"Say, why don't you come to Sanctuary with us?" Preston said, seeming to think maybe Ash wasn't such a bad person. "We could use your help getting settled there."

Feeling a zip of excitement as Preston mentioned "Sanctuary", Ash's eyes widened a bit. If he meant Sanctuary Hills, and Ash felt strongly that he did, then that meant everything was going to come together. He'd lead these helpless idiots to Sanctuary Hills and then slaughter them all before using their corpses for decorations. "Alright, sure." Ash agreed, jitters starting up fresh due to excitement.

Preston gave Ash a kind smile that Ash had no interest in returning and Ash removed himself from the group as one of them spoke up and then they started to bicker. Ash tuned it out as he thought about how he'd kill them all. He could let the traps he'd set up all over his lair take care of them, but that didn't sound very fun. He'd take them across the bridge, let them see his decorations, let them start to regret their decisions, and then he'd use his knife to kill each and every one of them. Yes, that was the plan.

As they walked, Ash tuned in and out to the idle chatter of the settlers he was leading to their deaths. He picked up something about a place called Diamond City, learned that the creature he'd killed was called a deathclaw, and got the names of the other members of the group. The last one didn't stick though, Ash was pretty bad with names and it wasn't like he needed to know the names of these future corpses anyway. As the group came upon the bridge to Sanctuary, Ash had decided to adopt calling it that since it was his sanctuary, they hesitated, having not expected it to be armed already.

Turning to give the group his best reassuring smile, Ash kept walking. "I was actually setting up to make this place my home before I found all of you, so I did a little bit of fortifying." He said, turning back around and grinning wickedly as he heard their tentative footsteps follow him across the bridge. Ash stopped once he crossed the bridge and watched everyone else walk into his den.

To say they looked shocked would be an understatement. "I also decorated." Ash said lazily, drawing his knife and going for Preston's throat. The others were too shocked to do anything at first and Ash was on Sturges before the other guy screamed and took off running. Ash killed Sturges with a bit more effort than he'd killed Preston and then a bullet grazed his arm, making him hiss in pain. Apparently the younger woman had a gun. Luckily, she wasn't a very good shot.

Jumping to the side as she tried to shoot him again, Ash moved quickly, grabbing the woman's hand holding the gun with one hand and stabbing his switch into her eye with the other. She howled in pain and Ash quickly pulled the blade free to slit her throat, silencing her cry. The older woman was still there, staring in shock at Ash's actions and Ash couldn't help but grin at her.

"I heard you're a bit of a psychic." He said, tone light and happy for the first time since he'd met them. "Too bad you didn't see this coming, huh?" Ash's mocking voice seemed to snap the woman out of the trance she was in and she reached for Preston's gun. She was too slow and soon she was dead as well, throat slit open like the rest.

Giggling happily, Ash looked around. "Where did he go?" He asked himself softly, walking slowly down the road in search of the only one who was smart enough to run. As he passed one house, Ash heard a commotion coming from within and sprinted inside. There the last one was hunched over, vomit staining the floor of the house. Apparently he didn't approve of the decorations Ash had made out of the dogs that had wandered into Sanctuary and tried to attack him.

It wasn't hard to subdue him even despite their age and slight size difference; the man was shaken and timid and Ash was a man on a mission. The breathless scream he let out as Ash closed in on him right before his throat was slit was one of the prettiest sounds Ash had ever heard. Letting out a shuddering sigh, Ash looked down at the blood on his knife and giggled. What a day this had been. _What a day_. Ash suddenly realized he was exhausted and it took all his remaining strength to drag himself to a bed. He collapsed into it and fell asleep instantly, his sleep littered with scattered nightmares about spaces that were too small and about being too cold to move.

Several hours later, Ash awoke to the dark of twilight. The nightmares were already leaving him along with the fogginess of sleep and Ash sat up. He stretched and found he was incredibly sore. At first Ash couldn't remember why but as he sat there, it came back to him and he smiled. His body wouldn't be getting any rest yet, he had several no-doubt heavy bodies to drag through Sanctuary. Ash knew the added soreness would be worth it though and he got out of bed with a little extra pep in his step, excited to put up his new decorations.


	3. The Brotherhood Part 1

Chapter Specific Characters: Wolfgang, Fancy Dansey, Scribe Haylen

* * *

About a week after killing the Concord settlers, Ash was running low on supplies and starting to feel restless even with as nice as he'd made Sanctuary. It was time to do some more exploring, more hunting. Packing what food he had left and whatever other supplies he thought he might need, Ash set out. Once he crossed the bridge from Sanctuary, Ash used his Pip-Boy to remotely turn on a signal that would attract settlers to his home and then activated his defenses. Hopefully when he came back, he'd have a stock of new decorations to put up.

Having been practicing with his weapons, Ash felt better equipped to deal with the dangers of the wasteland. He'd also managed to scavenge a good deal of armor from the raiders in Concord so now he felt more protected as well. In addition to the weapon training and the new armor, Ash had been trying to build up his physical prowess. He lifted weights made from scrap lead and steel and ran often. In the old world, Ash hadn't been very athletic, there wasn't any real reason, but in this world, he'd need that extra strength or boost of speed if time tried to catch up to him.

On his way to wherever the roads took him, Ash came across a traveling merchant and managed to get some food in exchange for ammo he'd found for guns he didn't use. He also got more clear directions to Diamond City, adding that to the mental list of places he needed to go to. Ash and the merchant parted ways and Ash felt much more secure in his supplies, feeling strongly that he could travel the wastes longer now. He wouldn't stay away from his Sanctuary for too long though, no longer than a week, he thought, hoping that a week was enough time to get in some action.

A short walk away from where Ash had just parted ways with the merchant, action crossed his path in the form of a man screaming at a woman in a building. Curious, Ash walked up and frowned when the man aimed his gun at him. Ash was outnumbered since the man had a bodyguard, but that didn't stop him from resting his hand on the hilt of his new combat knife.

"Whoa, whoa, easy there, scavver. This doesn't involve you." The man said, surprising Ash by actually sounding a fair bit like he didn't want to have to shoot him.

"Clearly." Ash said blankly, glancing over at the building before returning his attention to the armed man. "What's going on?" He asked anyway, still curious. From what he'd heard, this man was a drug dealer and the woman inside the building, or more precisely her son, owed him money.

"It's a simple business dispute, got it? Trudy's sitting on a pile of goods that she owes me." The man started, keeping his gun raised. "I tried reasoning with her, but it looks like I gotta take what's mine by force." Eyeing Ash briefly, the man continued quickly. "Wanna make some easy money? Help me out. I could use another gun."

Humming softly, Ash looked back in on the woman. She was watching their conversation like a hawk, clearly waiting to see what would happen. Turning his attention back to the man, Ash nodded. "Alright." He agreed, waiting for the man to lower his gun before his arm darted forward to slit his throat smoothly. His bodyguard took a second too long to start firing and Ash managed to throw his knife at her hand before she could shoot him, causing her to drop her gun. Shooting the woman as she reached for her back-up weapon, Ash gave a content sigh. It was like drinking the first gulp of water after a rigorous work-out, spilling blood giving Ash that feeling of quenching a pressing thirst.

Picking his knife back up, Ash walked towards the building. He could hear the woman within laughing and saying something about crows but he didn't listen. Ash raised his gun and shot her in the head, watching her fall and hearing her son cry out in shock and grief before turning the gun on him too. Smiling serenely once it was all over, Ash went about looting the small trading post and then moved on, continuing on down the road he'd originally been traveling. At this rate, he was going to have a very productive walk indeed.

The next time Ash was stopped, it was because his Pip-Boy let out a chime, informing him that it had picked up a radio signal. Tilting his head curiously, Ash found some cover just in case and tuned into the signal. The fact that it had "military frequency" in the name made Ash a bit nervous. Was the government indeed still a thing and they'd simply decided Vault 111 wasn't worth the energy and resources to evacuate? If there was still a military, it stood to reason that there was still a government controlling them.

"Automated message repeating. This is Scribe Haylen of Reconnaissance Squad Gladius to any unit in transmission range. Authorization: arx, ferrum, nine, five. Our unit has sustained casualties and we're running low on supplies. We're requesting support or evac from our position at Cambridge Police Station. Automated me-"

Cutting the message off before it could repeat, Ash frowned to himself. He hadn't really understood the first half of that, not being very well-versed in military jargon despite having lived with a veteran. Ash did, however, understand that whoever these people were, it sounded like they weren't in any real position to deal with murder-happy teenagers. Using his Pip-Boy to track the signal, Ash realized they were fairly close to his location and shrugged, deciding to go for it. Best case scenario, he found some fun, worst case scenario, they shot him on sight. Win-win really.

As Ash neared the Cambridge Police Station, he heard gunshots and it made him pause. Was that whatever had made them sustain casualties or was that some other stupid civilian getting gunned down? Only one way to find out, Ash decided, drawing his pistol and walking through a side-alley that took him into the courtyard of the station. There he saw a man in power armor shooting what looked like if a human and a raisin had a baby and that baby had rabies.

Having never seen anything like it before, it made Ash pause. He stood there watching the way the odd savage creatures seemed to lumber clumsily one second before lunging for the throat the next. It was an interesting strategy that Ash would've been content to simply observe had more of the creatures not started coming from the streets, some of them coming for him. Crouching behind the barricade he was near, Ash started firing, all of that target practice paying off as none of the creatures managed to get to him.

Once it was all over, the man in power armor spoke to him in a firm, commanding tone that made Ash's hand itch a little. "We appreciate the assistance, civilian, but what's your business here?" He asked, at least having the decency to holster his gun as he spoke.

"I was just taking a walk and I heard the party you were throwing over here so I thought I'd check it out." Ash responded a bit sarcastically, deciding he didn't like this tin-man.

"I'd hardly call dealing with a pack of ferals a party." Tin-Man responded, scoffing a bit at the idea. "Are you from a local settlement?"

_Ferals_. Is that what these rabid raisins were called? Ash liked his name better. "Nope. Bit of a drifter." He responded, not about to tell Tin-Man about his home.

"An answer that I hear often." Tin-Man responded, giving a nod. "If I appear suspicious, it's because our mission here had been difficult. Since the moment we arrived in the Commonwealth, we've been constantly under fire." Tin-Man explained, apparently not noticing Ash's eyeroll. What was with the people he helped feeling like he needed their life-story? "If you want to continue pitching in, we could use an extra gun on our side."

Well that seemed sorta out of the blue. Pondering Tin-Man's offer for a moment, Ash shrugged. Despite his off-the-bat dislike for Tin-Man, he was still curious about what sort military they were. "Sure." Ash said, tilting his head a bit. "But first I want to know what you are." He stipulated, motioning at the insignia on Tin-Man's power armor. It didn't look like any military or government insignia he'd ever seen before.

"Very well. I'm Paladin Danse, Brotherhood of Steel." Tin-Man introduced, motioning to his side where a man and woman were huddled in front of the entrance to the station. "Over there is Scribe Haylen and Knight Rhys. We're on recon duty, but I'm down a man and our supplies are running low." Danse explained, quickly moving into too-much-information territory as Ash didn't care what they were doing before he got there. "I've been trying to send a distress signal to my superiors, but the signal is too weak to reach them.

That caught Ash's attention. _Superiors_. Like the government? Ash was about to ask when Haylen spoke up. "Sir, if I may?"

"Proceed, Haylen." Danse said, turning his attention to his scribe.

"I've modified the radio tower on the roof of the police station, but I'm afraid it just isn't enough. What we need is something that will boost the signal." Haylen explained, Ash realizing she was talking to him about half-way through what she was saying.

"Our target is ArcJet Systems, and it contains the technology we need: the Deep Range Transmitter." Danse explained, taking back over. "We infiltrate the facility, secure the transmitter, and bring it back here. So, what do you say? You willing to lend the Brotherhood of Steel a hand?" When Danse phrased it like that, it made it sound like a serious commitment and Ash couldn't help but "snrk" a bit at how serious he was.

"Sure, why the fuck not?" Ash responded, getting two thick brows knitted either for his attitude or for his language, Ash didn't know or care which.

Choosing no to respond, Danse stomped, because there really wasn't any stepping lightly in power armor, up the stairs of the police station and addressed his team. Ash tuned him out until Danse turned his attention back to him. "-civilian, it's time to prove your worth. Head into the station and resupply yourself, then let me know when you're ready to begin." Then Danse turned his attention back to his group, ignoring the way Ash scoffed and rolled his eyes at being bossed around. "Let's move out, people!" He ordered, going on ahead into the police station.

Being around Danse was what Ash imagined it would have been like to have lived with a soldier who actually had a spine instead of Nate. He was starting to regret his agreement to help and briefly considered simply leaving since the rest of Danse's group had gone into the police station as well, but decided against it. Whatever sort of military the Brotherhood of Steel was, they didn't seem affiliated with the government as Ash had known it but he was still curious enough to see this through. Letting out a deep sigh, Ash squared his shoulders and walked into the police station.

Taking Danse's suggestion, because thinking of it as an order made him bristle, Ash checked the station for supplies and then followed noisy footsteps until he found Danse. "Ready to go." He said, eyes traveling Danse's power armor in search of a weakness. Never know when he'd need to stab someone in a suit, didn't hurt to look while the one in front of him was friendly.

"Outstanding." Danse said, not seeming to notice Ash's wondering eyes. "Follow me and try not to lag behind."

Sighing, Ash started scratching his suddenly itchy palm. It'd calmed down but now it was flaring up even worse. "Whatever." He muttered, following Danse outside.

The moment they were outside, Danse started talking and Ash made a face at his back. Seriously? Rolling his eyes, Ash tuned Danse out, the chatter sounding distinctly like the kind of backstory, explanation shit he hated listening to. Instead of listening, Ash kept an eye out for things that might need shooting and places where he might be able to find supplies. It worked out well that way, the duo making it to ArcJet with only a few skirmishes that needed dealing with. Danse clearly hadn't said anything that required Ash's input because he was still fucking talking when they arrived. When Danse stopped in front of the door to ArcJet though, Ash tuned back in, looking up at him expectantly.

"Listen up. We do this clean and quiet. No heroics and by the book. Understood?" Danse said, voice stern and grating.

Laughing softly in a borderline-hysterical way, Ash tilted his head lightly. "Quiet? Alright, tin man, whatever you say." He snarked, aware that if Danse wanted to, he could wreck his shit, but unable to resist the chance to poke the proverbial bear.

"This isn't a joking matter." Danse barked, raising his voice just enough in a very practiced way. "This is a serious mission. No heroics. By the book. **Do you understand?**"

"Fuck! Whatever." Ash sighed, his age showing as he rolled his eyes for the hundredth time that day. "Can we just go?" Then Danse was suddenly in his face, not looking particularly mad, just very serious.

"I don't plan on rushing through the facility without extreme caution." He said, moving back a bit now that he was sure he'd finally got Ash's attention. "Contrary to what you might believe, I'd like you to remain alive during the course of our mission." Danse's voice was softer now, making Ash's angry expression waver even as his eyes narrowed. "Remember, our primary target is the Deep Range Transmitter. Stay focused and check your fire. I don't want to be hit by stray bullets."

Rolling his eyes as Danse turned away, Ash holstered his gun and pulled out his knife. If Danse was so worried about bullets, he'd go melee. Danse could go fuck himself with his "stay alive" bullshit. If something got through his armor and he died, oh well. He'd die pleased knowing that Danse would feel guilty about it for awhile. And if he didn't die, then that was a nice, fat middle finger right in Danse's stupid face.

Feeling ready for a fight, Ash followed Danse inside. As soon as they were inside, Danse started fucking talking again and Ash pursed his lips, trying not to laugh again as he tuned the soldier out. If he got the opportunity, he would kill Danse. Then he'd go back to Cambridge and take care of his team. When Danse stopped in the very next room, Ash did laugh, scrubbing his hand over his face. It was time for another chat, he could tell.

"Look at these wrecks. It appears as though the facility's automated security's already been dealt with." Danse said, pausing when Ash sighed.

"No shit." He said bluntly, glaring at Danse. "The fuck's it matter?"

"Look at the evidence." Danse said firmly, giving Ash the distinct impression that he was being tested. "There isn't a single spent ammunition casing or drop of blood in sight. These robots were assaulted by Institute synths." He concluded grimly, looking mildly annoyed when Ash gave him a blank look.

"The fuck's a synth?" Ash finally asked, realizing Danse was waiting for him say something.

"They're an abuse of technology created by the Institute. Abominations meant to "improve" upon humanity." Danse explained venomously, his hatred running deep and clear. "It's unacceptable. They simply can't be allowed to exist."

"That-that doesn't answer- you know what? I don't care. Whatever. I'll stab what I need to stab, security robot or "synth", I don't care." Ash said, moving past Danse and taking the lead in his frustration. He walked down the hall in front of Danse, ignoring the paladin's protests and came to a room that Danse decided was a dead end. Still ignoring the paladin, Ash walked around and found a working terminal. Beside it was what appeared to be the password. Ignoring the holotape, Ash crouched in front of the computer and got to work.

Thirty seconds later, the door was sliding open and Ash was straightening up. As the door opened, Ash finally got an answer to his question as several human-like robots stormed the room. They went for Danse since he was the closest and he seemed to handle them easily enough making Ash wonder why he was so distraught about them earlier. Danse didn't even seem to notice that Ash wasn't helping him as he jogged into the room Ash had just unlocked, shouting something or other as he took on the synths in the next room.

Switching back to his gun since his knife wasn't going to do anything to metal, Ash followed Danse leisurely, letting him take the brunt of the attack before he joined in and helped him pick the last few off. As Danse started climbing a broken walkway to the level above them, Ash walked over to a door on the main floor and found it locked. Crouching, Ash picked the lock fairly easily and then wobbled as the floor suddenly shook. He looked around wildly and found Danse standing behind him, making him jump.

"Fuck!" Ash yelled, glaring at Danse and clutching his chest a little dramatically.

"Good job on that lock." Danse said, ignoring Ash's outburst and patting him on the shoulder as he took the apparent shortcut Ash had opened up to their destination.

Mocking Danse silently, Ash followed along, trailing Danse up some stairs and then stopping when the soldier stopped. "What now?" Ash hissed, trying to peer around Danse.

"Turrets ahead." Danse replied, seeming to be trying to figure out the best angle to take them down without getting shot himself.

Groaning, Ash shimmied past Danse. "Fucking move, I got this." He growled, dashing past the hall with the turrets and into the adjoining room. He ignored Danse's shout and looked around briefly, finding a terminal and hacking into it easily. When Ash was younger, he'd gone on a school trip to a building like ArcJet. They'd mentioned their state-of-the-art security system and talked about how the terminal that controlled the system was heavily encrypted and guarded, making it near impenetrable. Ash figured most facilities like this worked under a similar premise and as he found an option labeled "turret control", he grinned to himself.

Turning off the turret system just as he heard Danse's heavy footsteps coming out into the hall, Ash stood up. Sighing as the small success helped with a bit of his tension, Ash walked out into the hall as well. Danse was standing there, looking disapproving and begrudgingly impressed. "Stuff it, soldier boy, I got the stupid turrets shut off." Ash growled, gasping as Danse suddenly pressed him against the wall, one massive hand enough to pin Ash's scrawny chest. All of his strength training hadn't helped to fill him out in any meaningful way, it'd simply given him definition so far. He was still as scrawny as he'd ever been, he just had some muscles between his skin and bones now.

"No heroics." Danse said firmly, not letting up. "You've been insubordinate this whole trip but I won't tolerate you refusing to follow orders."

"I'm not one of your lackeys, tin man!" Ash shouted, glaring at Danse darkly but not bothering to struggle. "You can't boss me around!"

"I'm trying to ensure your safety!" Danse shouted back, making Ash falter a bit since that was the first time Danse had actually yelled at him.

After staring at Danse for awhile, Ash looked away. "Right." He muttered, not liking one bit all of the conflicting emotions he was now feeling. A bit of fear, some sadness, anger mostly, just a sliver of arousal. That last one didn't help with the anger.

Sighing, Danse let Ash go, taking a step back. "Don't let it happen again." He grumbled, carrying on down the hall without waiting for a response.

"Whatever." Ash muttered, following Danse and trying to distract himself by thinking of all the different ways he could kill Danse or all the ways he could use his corpse as a decoration in Sanctuary. He'd never be able to lug Danse all the way to Sanctuary, especially not in power armor, but the thoughts were meant to be relaxing, not practical.

There was awhile where neither man said anything after that. Danse led the way and Ash followed. When Danse finally did speak, Ash actually listened instead of tuning him out like he had been for most of the trip. "Engine core's ahead. Should be our final stop." He said simply, walking through a door. As Ash followed, Danse spoke up again. "Watch your footing. Look's like the power's out in this section."

Flicking on his Pip-Boy's flashlight, Ash kept walking, refusing to say anything. Then Danse was talking again and this time Ash blocked him out, deciding he didn't care. When they reached the bottom of the stairs they'd been descending, Ash realized Danse had just given him an order and looked around. Seeing some open double doors nearby, Ash decided to take a shot in the dark since he hadn't been listening and wasn't about to ask Danse to repeat himself and went through the doors. When Danse didn't yell at him, he figured he must be on the right track.

Walking down a decrepit hall, Ash found himself in an observation chamber. Humming curiously, Ash looked around and found a button labeled "engine start". He looked out the window and saw the huge rocket right above Danse's head. Grinning wickedly, Ash walked into the other room, looking for a way to get the power online. He found it quickly, easily hacking the terminal he needed and starting the back-up power. Laughing softly, Ash ran to the other room and arrived just in time to see Danse getting beset by a wave of synths.

As tempting as it was to watch Danse struggle against the wave, Ash wanted much more to char Danse alive in his stupid suit. Grinning broadly, Ash pressed the big red button and watched eagerly. The countdown from five felt like an eternity and Ash was practically pressing his face against the glass of the observation window in his eagerness. When it reached one, he jerked back, realizing how close he'd gotten and not wanting to hurt his eyes too much. It was bad enough he was going to watch a rocket launch just so he could see Danse get charred, he didn't need to be right up on the glass too.

The engine firing was surprisingly less bright than Ash had thought it would be. Or maybe it was because his eyes were glued on Danse and he wasn't really looking at the rocket. Giggling as Danse took a knee and clapping his hands together as Danse's armor began to glow orange, Ash bounced on his heels. He couldn't wait for the rocket to die so he could go outside and see the char-broiled paladin up close.

As the engine stopped and the blast doors opened, Ash ran out, stopping just short of the testing room as he realized, with a sinking feeling, that Danse was clearly still alive. "Fuck." Ash muttered, screwing up his face in worry and running over to Danse. "Shit! I'm sorry, I didn't realize it would- I'm sorry! Are you alright!?" He yelled, surprised at how convincing he sounded to himself. He just hoped Danse bought it.

"Got- cooked by those flames, but- thanks to my power armor, I'm still in one piece." Danse grunted, still kneeling and in obvious pain. "The important thing is we're still alive- and we have a way to get to the transmitter." Huffing, Danse stood, his voice coming out surprisingly steadily as he apparently sucked up the pain. "Let's go."

Not saying anything and still trying to look sorry, Ash nodded and pressed the button for the elevator that was now working. It arrived promptly and he got on, Danse getting in after him and pushing the button for the floor they needed. Ash found himself incredibly uneasy for the entire elevator ride and wasn't sure why. Danse didn't seem to suspect that he'd tried to kill him on purpose, so he didn't feel like that was it. What other reason could there be? When they exited the elevator, Ash felt a wave of relief come over him despite the fact that there were more synths waiting for them.

Working together, Ash and Danse dispatched them easily enough, Danse in front acting like a bullet sponge for Ash despite his injuries. After looking around briefly, Danse swore and told Ash to check the fallen synths for the device they came for. It took all of Ash's self control not to say something rude and he instead simply listened, going up to the lifeless husks and checking them for irregularities. After a moment, Ash made a sound of triumph and held up a device that looked different from anything else the synths had on them.

Letting out a relieved sigh, Danse nodded. "Let's get out of here." He huffed, clearly relieved and ready to go. "We'll take the service elevator to the surface."

Holding the device in one hand, Ash pushed the button for the elevator with the other. He piled on with Danse and soon the elevator was moving up, taking them out of ArcJet and back into the wasteland. This ride was another tense one and Ash was beginning to suspect the elevators were at fault. Both men got out as the elevator doors opened and Danse muttered something about the coast being clear before leaving the building fully. Ash followed and saw that it was dark and raining outside. He smiled, relief washing over him with the falling rain, and made the mistake of sticking his tongue out for a raindrop, pulling his tongue back into his mouth quickly at the taste. It was like piss and battery acid. Radiated, Ash realized, sighing sadly.

As distracted by the rain as he was, Ash nearly bumped into Danse who had just turned around to face him. "Well, that could've gone smoother, but mission accomplished." He sighed, tone more than a bit judgmental.

Frowning, Ash scrubbed his hand over his face, certain that at this rate, his hand would never stop itching. "Whatever." He practically whined, hand dropping to his side in exhaustion. "I don't care what you think of me."

"Accepting constructive criticism is the best way to improve ourselves both physically and mentally." Danse recited, sounding alot like he'd read that in an old self-help book. "However, this doesn't diminish your role in the operation. Without your assistance, it could've been in jeopardy." He conceded, surprising Ash and continuing before the volatile teen could speak again. "That being said, I believe we have two important matters to discuss. First and foremost, if you'll hand me the Deep Range Transmitter, I'd like to compensate you for your assistance during this operation."

Frowning suspiciously, Ash handed over the transmitter. As far as he knew, that was the only item of business they needed to be discussing. What else could Danse possibly want?

"I think you'll find this weapon useful. It's my own personal modification of the standard Brotherhood laser rifle." Danse said, taking the transmitter and handing Ash a gun. "May it serve you well in battle."

"Uh, thanks?" Ash said, taking the gun and looking quite like someone who didn't receive gifts often. It sort of wasn't a gift, it was payment, but it certainly felt more personal than a handkerchief full of caps and some ammo or anything else that might qualify as payment in the Commonwealth.

"You're welcome, civilian." Danse said, not seeming to mind the hesitation or the questioning tone. "Now, as far as the second matter goes, I wanted to make you a proposal." He said, watching Ash more intently, seeming to be looking for a reaction. "We had alot thrown at us back there. Our op could've ended in disaster, but, for the most part, you kept your cool and handled it like a soldier. A slightly insubordinate soldier, but a soldier nonetheless." Danse said, even going so far as to sound mildly impressed.

Ash had to hide both his steadily mounting aggravation at Danse beating around the bush and his annoyance at being compared to a soldier. Before the war, he wouldn't have minded joining the military. Back then, he saw it as the only chance he'd ever get to live out some of his violent thoughts and urges. But now, in this new world of freedom, Ash knew he was better than a soldier, that he'd never stoop to taking orders and wearing uniforms in order to justify murder.

"There's no doubt in my mind that you've got what it takes." Danse continued, not seeming to think anything of the way Ash's eyes widened as he suddenly realized what was happening. "The way I see it, you've got a choice. You could spend the rest of your life wandering from place to place, trading an extra hand for a meager reward, or you could join the Brotherhood of Steel and make your mark on the world." He finished, raising his chin a bit in a prideful way, giving Ash the distinct impression that he thought he already knew what Ash's answer would be. "So what do you say?"

Well, when he put it that way: no! Fuck no! Not in a hundred years, not in another two-hundred years! But before Ash could vocalize all that, the proverbial other hand presented itself. If he said no, that would be it. Maybe he'd get to stab Danse and his little group but who was to say the rest of the Brotherhood, not desperate like Danse's group, would be so kind to a random civilian. Maybe the only reason Danse hadn't shot him at Cambridge was because they genuinely did need the help. The other members of the Brotherhood might've shot him. If he said no, that was it, but if he said yes, if he played nice for just a bit longer, he could gain access to the rest of the Brotherhood. Maybe if he played his cards right, he'd get to see their nest and take them all out in one go.

Humming a bit, Ash's face remained surprisingly neutral through his mental battle and then he nodded slowly. "I'm surprised you think I'm Brotherhood material, but-" He hesitated, the viscerally angry part of him flaring up again briefly before the colder, smarter side took back over. "-I'll join." Ash finalized, unable to go back now.

"That's what I wanted to hear." Danse said happily, proudly. "Meet me back at the police station and we'll discuss the details."

Nodding, Ash watched Danse turn and leave. Swaying a bit on his feet, Ash had to sit down. He looked around quickly, not quite wanting to sit on the muddy ground and instead parked himself on a nearby forklift. The rain felt amazing, radiation or not, and Ash closed his eyes as he thought about what he'd just done. Suddenly the real reason for his fatigue came to light in the form of his stomach growling loudly. How long had it been since he'd eaten anything?

Realizing it had been far too long, the night before, in fact, Ash quickly slung off his pack and got some food in his stomach. The water he chased everything down with was a far cry from the acid piss falling from the sky and before Ash knew it, he'd downed two whole cans. Sighing in relief, Ash laid back on the forklift, closing his eyes again so the rain didn't get in them. Eventually he started to get cold and tired and sat up, seeing that it had gotten even darker while he rested.

Sighing, Ash went back into the ArcJet service entrance, going in the opposite direction of the elevator and finding a good spot to hunker down. He closed the door and used some old shelves and barrels to barricade it and the elevator before stripping his clothes off. Ash hung his wet clothes on another shelf and then used the many cardboard boxes with their many ancient files to create a fire big enough to dry his clothes and keep him warm. Finally, Ash set out his bedroll, which was dry thanks to a waterproof covering Ash had wrapped it in, the same waterproof covering that had kept his pack and all the stuff within from getting drenched, and laid it out, laying down on it and gazing into the fire calmly.

After he'd rested, he would go back to Cambridge, get whatever information he needed to get from Danse, and then he'd make his way to Diamond City. He was excited to know what that was all about and after throwing some more files on the fire, Ash went to sleep. It had been a long day and he had a feeling that tomorrow was going to be even longer.


	4. In-Between BoS

Chapter Specific Characters: Knight Rhys, Fancy Dansey, Scribe Haylen, Piper Wright, Doctor Sun, Arturo Rodriguez, Conrad Kellogg

* * *

"So you decided to stay, huh?" Danse's lackey, Ash had already forgotten his name, said, sounding unimpressed and just a tad annoyed. "I expected you to take your payment and run."

The walk back to Cambridge had been uneventful and even somewhat relaxing. Ash hadn't run across anything that wanted him dead so he had been able to get lost in the simple, almost meditative act of taking a peaceful stroll. He'd made it to Cambridge within an hour and the moment he walked inside, Danse was there, telling his team about their newest recruit. The soldier hadn't even gotten very far before the lackey had decided to put his two cents in.

"Suck it, soldier boy." Ash shot at him, good mood from his walk gone just like that.

"Why don't you come say that to my face, scavver?" The lackey growled, looking about two seconds from attacking Ash before Danse interrupted.

"That's enough, both of you!" He ordered, looking at his lackey. "Like it or not, you're going to have to learn to work together." Then he turned to Ash and the teen had to suppress the urge to shrink away a bit. "And you, you need to understand what it means to be a part of the Brotherhood. We're not soldiers of fortune. We're an army and we've-" Ash blocked out the rest, trying to look attentive as he phased Danse out.

When Danse stopped talking, Ash realized he was expecting to him to say something. "Yes, sir." Ash replied reluctantly, that answer apparently being appropriate and satisfactory as some of the tension left Danse's face and he nodded in approval.

"Outstanding." Danse said, going on to say more that Ash only half listened to, tuning in fully just in time to receive his new rank.

"Alright, cool." Ash replied, feeling like that probably wasn't the right response and awkwardly throwing in an "uh, sir?" to the end. To his relief, Danse simply smiled a bit in amusement and shook his head.

"We'll get you talking like a real soldier in no time, don't worry." He assured, apparently thinking that Ash's uncomfortable expression was from a want to not seem insubordinate and not because the word "sir" left a foul taste in his mouth.

"Right." Ash muttered, turning his attention to the other lackey as she spoke up.

"Ad Victoriam, initiate." She said brightly, smiling in a too-friendly way.

"He doesn't even know what that means, Haylen." Jackass grumbled, apparently still pissed that Ash was joining their little circus.

""Ad Victoriam" means "To Victory"." Danse explained, ignoring Jackass' palpable bitterness. "In our eyes, defeat is unacceptable because we're fighting for the future of mankind. Our rallying cry is more powerful than any weapon you could ever carry. Remember that." Ash almost thought the paladin was joking and he was about to laugh, but the serious expression on his face and the serious note in his voice kept Ash from even smiling at the ridiculous notion. "Now, I need you to report to Haylen or Rhys for your next assignment. Dismissed, soldier."

Ash wasn't sure which person would be worse to receive a mission from but he eventually decided to get his next mission from Haylen. She was perky and friendly and annoying, but at least Ash was pretty sure she wouldn't shank him if given half a chance like Rhys might. On his way out of the police station, new mission in hand, Ash saw Rhys glaring daggers at him and blew him a kiss along with a flirty wink before jogging out of the station. Maybe he was suicidal, antagonizing the larger, stronger, older military man like that, but if Rhys was going to hate him anyway, Ash couldn't resist the urge to have fun with it.

Not intending to do the mission he got from Haylen, Ash simply walked quickly away from the police station, slowing down once he'd gotten a good distance away. He walked along the broken road that, if his directions were correct, would take him to Diamond City until he came to a rickety looking bridge. Stopping, Ash looked at the bridge and realized it was in better shape than his first impression had led him to believe. Ash crossed the bridge, going into a crouch at the halfway point as he heard voices below him. There was a small raider group that seemed to have made the wrecked ships below the bridge their base.

Deciding he could use the stress-relief, Ash took out his pistol and shot one of the closer raiders. The others heard the gunshot but didn't see Ash right away and it gave him an opportunity to shoot the dog they had with them that had come galloping down the floating walkway from the wrecked cargo ship it had been on to the one where the now-dead raider was. The raiders seemed to realize in which direction the bullets were coming from and Ash hid more as a barrage of bullets came his way.

They seemed random so either the raiders were shitty shots or they still didn't quite see Ash. Creeping around the other side, Ash took out another raider, having to use his Pip-Boy's VATS to hit them from such a distance. It seemed there were only three left now. One sounded like they were below Ash, likely in the part of the boat that had once housed the controls, and the other two were across the way on the cargo ship. One of them was wearing power armor and Ash knew he'd probably have to save that one for last.

Looking around, Ash hurried to the edge of where he was standing and dropped over it as quietly as he could, landing with a still-rather-loud _thump_ on the boat below the bridge. Ash heard running and took aim, firing as soon as the raider rounded the corner. He only got them in the arm but they staggered from the shot and that gave Ash enough time for a headshot. Letting out the breath he didn't realize he was holding, Ash snuck around the boat, ducking into the cabin and taking a moment to reload.

Just two more to go. It would be difficult to get to the cargo ship without getting shot, but he wasn't about to try swimming. Just the idea of getting in the murky water below him made Ash cringe. No, he'd need to brave the walkway. Suddenly remembering something, Ash rifled through his bag briefly before pulling out a syringe of Med-X. He injected himself and waited a moment before making a break for the runway. Ash heard bullets whizzing past him and even heard them hitting the walkway around him and the boat behind him. If any of them hit him, he couldn't feel them thanks to the Med-X.

Firing his pistol as he ran across the walkway helped as the raider without power armor hid to avoid getting shot making him only have to deal with one gun being fired at him. When he made it across the walkway to the cargo ships, Ash quickly turned on his VATS. He used it to make sure he got the raider in the power armor in the head, the only exposed part of their body. It took two shots to bring them down and then Ash quickly dashed behind the cover of a cargo crate as the last raider popped up and started firing.

Shaking from adrenaline, Ash took a moment to inject two stimpaks into himself. He was pretty sure he'd been shot but he didn't have time to check himself as he switched to his shotgun and ran out of his hiding spot, earning himself a barrage of bullets. The raider had to peek out of her hiding spot to shoot him though, and when she did, he got her with the shotgun. Dropping to his ass as soon as the raider was dead, Ash injected himself with another stimpak.

Finally, Ash looked himself over. Oh yeah, those were bullet holes. At least three of them. The Med-X was keeping him from feeling it and the stimpaks were stemming the bleeding, but he'd still need to get the bullets removed eventually. He wasn't sure what the doctor situation in the Commonwealth was, but he hoped they still existed. Ash didn't think he could remove the bullets himself, not without at least watching someone do it first. Popping open a can of water, Ash rinsed most of the blood off of himself and slowly got up.

When he almost collapsed again, Ash got a box of snack cakes out of his pack and ate them quickly, knowing that sugar was good for blood loss. They helped and Ash popped another can of water to drink as he slowly made his way around the ships, looting the raider corpses and picking up anything else that might be useful. Then he climbed the stairs back up to the bridge and continued on, seeing the first few signs for Diamond city quickly.

The closer Ash got to Diamond City, the more clearly he could hear it: gunshots. Sighing lightly and drawing his pistol, Ash carried on, eventually seeing that the source of the gunshots was a group of men all dressed the same fighting big, green person-like creatures. First the rabid raisins and now this shit. Still the big greens were distracted by the uniformed men and vice versa so Ash simply slipped past, picking up the pace a bit to get past the shootout quickly.

Finally making it to the outside of Diamond City, Ash found his path blocked by yet another obstacle. The gate was closed and apparently it would remain that way thanks to a woman who was being kept from entering the city. Sighing in exasperation was apparently the wrong choice of action because the woman whipped around and motioned eagerly for him to come closer. After frowning at her for a moment, Ash rolled his eyes and did just that.

"You want into Diamond City, right?" She asked in a hushed voice, motioning behind her at the gate.

"Yeah." Ash muttered, half-expecting the woman to send him on some convoluted mission he'd hate in order to get the gate open.

"Okay, play along." The woman whispered, suddenly raising her voice. "What was that? You said you're a trader up from Quincy? You have enough supplies to keep the general store stocked for a whole month? Huh." She laughed lightly, ignoring the look Ash was giving her as she turned back to the intercom. "You hear that, Danny? Ya gonna open the gate and let us in, or are you gonna be the one talking to **crazy** Myrna about losing out on all this supply?"

Unable to help himself, Ash smirked a bit. He approved of a little manipulation.

"Jeez, alright!" Danny relented, sounding exhausted. "No need to make it personal, Piper. Give me a minute." Then the gate started to rumble and open slowly and Ash's smirk turned into a smile.

"Better head inside quick before ol' Danny catches onto the bluff." Piper muttered, grinning at her clever plan working.

"Yeah." Was all Ash said, deciding that Piper wasn't too bad.

"Another great day in Diamond City." She said sarcastically, turning and going through the gate.

Humming softly, Ash followed, passing Piper up quickly as she was stopped by some man shouting at her. He was tempted to stop and listen but decided, even though Piper had gotten him into the city, that getting his injuries hopefully tended to was more important. Ash walked into Diamond City and his eyes widened. "Wow." He mumbled, looking around at the buildings and then down at the market. It was actually halfway to nice compared to every other place he'd seen so far.

As Ash looked around, his Med-X wore off and suddenly one of his legs gave in. Hissing in pain, Ash looked down and groaned at the blood coming from his thigh between the gaps of his leg armor. Rolling his eyes and huffing at himself, Ash limped down the ramp and let out a small sigh of relief as the first market stall he saw was a doctor. He limped over and at first the doctor started to complain but he saw the multiple bullet holes and the way Ash's skin was starting to look clammy and hurried him over to the surgery table against the wall.

"Damn scavvers always waiting until the last minute to deal with bullets." The doctor muttered as he helped Ash onto the table. He gave him a dose of Med-X and grabbed a pair of tweezers, getting to work quickly and surely, his hands obviously practiced in the removal of bullets. It took him about ten minutes to get all the bullets out and then he hit Ash with a stimpak. "You're lucky you're young." The doctor said scoldingly, washing his bloody hands off. "You should be able to walk without limping in a few days with a few more stimpak treatments."

Sighing in relief and already feeling considerably better, Ash sat up and grabbed his pack from the floor. "How much do I owe you?" He asked, getting the sack he kept his caps in out and looking at the doctor expectantly. As the doctor tried to tell him to lay back down, Ash also got out a syringe of Med-X and a stimpak, looking up at the doctor again once he got the medicine. "How much do I owe you?" He asked more firmly, feeling satisfaction as the doctor deflated a bit.

"Fifteen caps." The doctor relented, taking the caps and shaking his head at the two syringes of medicine. "I can't-" He tried, frowning as Ash forced the medicine into his hands.

"Thanks, doc." Ash muttered, getting off the table carefully and leaving the market stall. He ignored the doctor's muttering about "stubborn scavvers" and injected himself with another stimpak before walking down the boarded streets of Diamond City, looking at the various stalls. Ash knew he was rushing his body to recover, but the stimpaks would help, that's what they were made for, and he had no intentions of being laid up for a few days. He had shit to do.

Passing up several shops, Ash's attention was finally caught by the Commonwealth Weaponry and he stepped up to the counter, checking out the man's wares curiously. His shotgun was nice, but it was only a double barrel and he was hoping to get something stronger and with a larger clip size.

"First time in Diamond City?" The man behind the counter asked, a friendly smile on his face.

"Uh, yeah." Ash said, looking slightly suspicious. Did he stand out or was this man a busy-body? Why did he want to know?

"Well, it's good to have you here." The man said, leaning against the counter of his weapon stand. "Name's Arturo Rodriguez. If you need protection, let's talk."

Not bothering with his own name, Ash nodded once, continuing his perusing. His gaze was drawn after a bit to a large gun. Ash picked it up and examined it, hearing Arturo hum in approval across the counter.

"You can never go wrong with a shotgun." He said, grinning at Ash. "They're great insurance against all kinds of trouble."

Humming softly, Ash set the gun on the counter and then took off his pack, ready to barter. The gun was fairly inexpensive and Ash figured it was because of how basic it looked. He was slowly learning how to make the weapons he had better though, using the basic knowledge he'd gotten from Nate and some good old-fashioned tinkering, and he was sure this gun had the potential to be amazing. It took all of the extremely common type of ammo he found in his travels and a few boxes of the rarer ammo types to pay off the shotgun and the few boxes of bullets Arturo had, but Ash paid that price happily.

Deciding to visit the other shops as well, Ash learned what all the inhalers he kept finding on raiders were and what they were for. He picked up some new clothes from one shop and found another shop was selling things he had been missing since waking up in this new world: soap, toothpaste, and laundry detergent. Maybe trusting two-hundred year old hygiene and cleaning products wasn't smart, but Ash wasn't exactly thrilled to smell like the rest of the wasteland given the considerably cleaner world he'd grown up in. Finally, Ash bartered the rest of the junk he didn't need but had collected and all but fifty of his remaining caps for enough food to last him a good long while.

Pack now full of supplies he actually wanted instead of the junk he'd been collecting on the road, Ash left Diamond City. At a leisurely pace, Ash could make it back to Sanctuary in a couple of days. He didn't feel like hurrying, so that's exactly what he set, taking his time to get back to his home. The walk was fairly uneventful and Ash made it back to his home unscathed by anything except a little radiation from a storm that had blown in while he was hunkered down for the night on the first day.

The sight that greeted Ash as he arrived was a delightful one. There were bodies on the bridge leading to Sanctuary and Ash suspected there would be many more within the town. Going to his old house, Ash dropped off his bag and shut off everything from his Pip-Boy, killing the extra defenses he only turned on when he was away and shutting off the beacon that had attracted those settlers to their deaths. He grabbed a quick bite to eat and then got to work, checking all of his traps and repairing anything that was broken. That first sweep took a couple of hours and the next sweep took the rest of the day. Ash went around Sanctuary and collected all the bodies he'd caught, setting them up as decorations as he found them.

Eight people, two dogs, and a two-headed deer in total. The deer was the hardest to move but Ash managed and when he was done, he was sweaty, sore, and bloody. Heading back to his house, Ash got one of his soap bars and boiled some water from the river that ran around Sanctuary to take a wasteland shower. He put on one of his new outfits and ate something else before finally getting into bed to give his body a rest.

That night Ash had nightmares of claustrophobic spaces and frozen bodies, nightmares that he hadn't had on any of the nights he'd spent away from Sanctuary but that he had just about every night within it. The nightmares were gone with the morning light though, and Ash decided to spend the day sprucing up Sanctuary and relaxing. By the next day, he was ready to move again. Looking at the map his Pip-Boy created of the world around him as he explored it, Ash picked a direction and started walking.

The biggest threat Ash came across on his walk were some flies. Apparently the path he'd chosen was remote enough that raiders didn't deem it worth patrolling. Eventually the trees thinned out and Ash scaled a fence that was suddenly blocking his path. This was starting to look more like civilization. Making sure his pistol was loaded with a full clip, Ash kept walking until a sudden pelting of bullets from a turret made him duck for cover. He checked himself but the turret had missed him for the most part, the one bullet that had hit him having been stopped by the leather armor on his leg.

Furrowing his brow, Ash checked his Pip-Boy. What about this location warranted protecting it with turrets? The map took a moment to refresh and when it did, it showed that the location was a place called Fort Hagen. Military. Raising an eyebrow, Ash lowered his arm and looked around. He'd ducked into an underground parking area. After a brief walk-around, Ash found a door that led into Fort Hagen and decided to investigate. It was either a raider den or some kind of long-abandoned military base that just still had working security. Or he'd find the actual military, maybe with the government behind them, and get shot on sight. Win-win-win, really.

Going for the sneaky approach, Ash crept through the old base and eventually heard a robotic voice call out asking if someone was there. He knew that voice, that was a synth. Humming was the wrong move since apparently synths had remarkable hearing and he was swarmed in no time. It took a mix of running, VATS, and a syringe of Psycho to get Ash out of the mess he'd accidentally thrown himself into, but eventually every synth on the two floors Ash could get to was dead and he wasn't.

Patching himself up wasn't too hard since the energy weapons the synths used burned more than penetrated and his armor and clothes had done a good job of mitigating the damage he might've otherwise taken. After he was done patching himself up, Ash kept going, curious now to figure out why there were so many synths in this old, unassuming building. Finding the door that would let him get further into Fort Hagen chained from the other side, Ash had to circle back around and take the elevator on the second floor.

Luckily, it still worked and it took him exactly where he needed to go, getting him behind the chained door. Unluckily, the ride was an anxiety-inducing one despite how smooth it was and Ash came to the conclusion that he was definitely claustrophobic. Ash saw a turret at the end of the hall the elevator opened up to and ran straight for it, managing to make it explode before it could shoot him. About halfway down the hall, Ash heard a beep and, assuming it was a mine he hadn't noticed, ran faster into the room the turret had been in. There were two synths in there and Ash took them down quickly before looking down the hall to see he'd actually triggered an electrical trap. Sighing in relief, Ash checked himself for injuries again before moving on.

A sudden voice from above made Ash stop in his tracks. "Well, if it isn't my old friend, the frozen TV dinner." It said sarcastically, making Ash raise an eyebrow. That voice sounded somewhat familiar, but not familiar enough to warrant "old friend" status. "Last time we met, you were cozying up to the peas and apple cobbler." Suddenly what the voice was saying clicked and Ash's eyes widened. That was one of the voices he'd heard before Nora had gotten shot. When he was frozen he hadn't been able to hear what the voice was saying, but he definitely recognized it.

The voice didn't carry on and Ash's brows furrowed. What a weird fucking coincidence this was. Laughing a bit at the absurd odds of it all, Ash crouched low and pressed on, able to hear a turret chugging away further into the complex. He disarmed a trap and blew up the turret and just as he was about to cross the threshold of the double doors that would take him further into Fort Hagen, the voice came again.

"Sorry your house has been a wreck for two-hundred years, but I don't need a roommate." He said, making Ash scoff. "Leave." Laughing harder than he'd meant to, Ash quickly covered his mouth. Oh, it was on now. Speaker Man had just sealed his fate with that fucking tone he'd just taken with him. With defiance on his face and determination in his step, Ash crossed the threshold.

"Huh." Speaker Man chuckled, seeming surprised that Ash pressed on. "Never expected you to come knocking on my door. Gave you fifty/fifty odds of making it to Diamond City. After that? Figured the Commonwealth would chew you up like jerky." Ash paused in his light steps, frowning, but Speaker Man didn't carry on. _Rude_. Just, honestly, rude. Speaker Man was rude.

Carrying on with an ever growing chip on his shoulder, Ash blew through a few more synths in a horribly messy hallway. He suddenly stopped as Speaker Man spoke again, ducking into a nearby room so he could listen. "Look, you're pissed off, I get it, I do. But whatever you hope to accomplish in here? It's not gonna go your way." Ash suddenly got the impression that Speaker Man thought he was here for something. He had stumbled across this place by accident and had only barely decided Speaker Man needed to die because he was a dick. Suddenly it clicked: Speaker Man thought he was out for revenge for his dead family. Laughing to himself at the absurdity, Ash kept sneaking.

More turrets, more synths, more walking, and then finally more talking. "You got guts and determination, and that's admirable. But you are in over your head in ways you can't possibly comprehend." Speaker Man said, making Ash snort as he shot more synths. Maybe he was in over his head, but Speaker Man didn't know who he was fucking with. After taking a moment to apply a stimpak or two to deal with the burn wounds he'd gotten over the last few skirmishes, Ash kept on.

"It's not too late. Stop. Turn around and leave. You have that option. Not alot of people can say that." Go fuck yourself, Ash thought, shooting three more turrets before passing through another door and ending up in a room with a door he couldn't open. A sigh came from the speakers just as Ash was about to start fuming. "Okay, you made it. I'm just up ahead. My synths are standing down. Let's talk." Speaker Man said, making Ash grin. He'd just fatally underestimated the wrong teenager.

Pausing to hit himself up with a dose of Med-X just in case, Ash almost kept walking but then paused and also shot up with some Psycho. Now he was ready to face Speaker Man and his synths. After passing through two doors that opened when he got close to them, Ash finally saw the face of Nora's killer and Shaun's kidnapper. He wasn't especially impressed.

"And there he is. The most resilient man in the Commonwealth. Funny, I thought I had that honor." Speaker Man said, coming out from behind some computers with his gun drawn but his hands up, a decidedly mixed gesture. Ash himself had his new shotgun cocked and ready. He wasn't here for friendly chit-chat, but he supposed he could play along.

Except that he wasn't really sure what to say. He didn't have anything **to** say. _"What did you do with Shaun?" _seemed like an appropriate question but Ash didn't care. _"Why did you kill Nora?"_ but again, Ash didn't care. The whats and whys didn't matter, he didn't care. Luckily, Speaker Man seemed to have his back.

"You came all this way and you don't have anything to say to me?" He asked, tilting his head a bit and eyeing Ash. "You know, I actually expected it to be your dad who came for me."

"He's dead." Ash answered automatically, voice and face void of emotion. Now Speaker Man seemed speechless, either from the news or from Ash's lack of emotion. "He didn't survive the thaw." Why was he telling Speaker Man? Did **he** care? He did look weirdly sad for just a second before his face was unreadable.

"Guess that means your brother is all you've got left." Speaker Man said, sounding like he was trying to get something out of Ash.

"As far as I'm concerned, he's dead too." Ash said, voice and face still cold.

"Well." Speaker Man laughed, sounding almost impressed. "Aren't you one cold son of a bitch? So if you're not here for revenge and you're not here for your brother, why are you here?"

"I came across this place by accident. I'm only here ready to kill you cuz you've been a dick over the speaker-system." Ash responded, smiling a bit when Speaker Man gave him an incredulous look.

"Then I guess there's no reason to keep talking, is there?" He said, cocking his gun and immediately activating a stealth field around himself. His synths started shooting and Ash was glad he'd taken those drugs.

Killing the synths first, Ash hid behind a computer and lit up a molotov cocktail. He got out from hiding, figured out where the bullets were coming from despite Speaker Man being invisible, and threw the cocktail. Speaker Man caught on fire with a grunt of pain and Ash started shooting. In the end, his shotgun was stronger than Speaker Man's pistol. Leaning against a desk as the fight ended, Ash worked quickly to get his armor off and check himself for bullet wounds.

It was odd to think there was any way to get shot luckily, but it turned out there was as any bullet that hadn't been stopped by Ash's armor had gone straight through him and out the other side. He'd been shot in the chest a few times, but his armor had managed to stop those. Ash took a few stimpaks and another Med-X and leaned back as the drugs worked their magic. Without any bullets trapped in his body, the stimpaks would work like they were supposed to and his pain wouldn't be as intense when the Med-X wore off this time.

Slowly nursing a can of water as his body healed, Ash looked at Speaker Man's corpse. Was there some part of him that **had** done this to avenge his family? Ash pondered it and shook his head. No, he still didn't care. Deciding to eat something since he was stopped anyway, Ash looked around the room he was in. He noticed the area that looked less gross than the rest and went over. Cramming the rest of his dogchop in his mouth when he spotted the terminal on the desk, Ash got to work trying to hack it and frowned at how impenetrable it was.

Glancing over, Ash went back over to Speaker Man and rifled through his pockets briefly, taking anything that looked good and finding what he was looking for. Going back over to the terminal, Ash entered the password and read the only entry there. It was about Shaun. He was apparently with the Institute, with the synth people. Frowning as that was all the terminal had for him, Ash pushed away from the desk and looked back down at Speaker Man's, Kellogg according to the terminal, corpse.

Suddenly his eyes were caught by something metallic amongst the chunks of Kellogg's head and brain all over the floor. Was he a synth too? Squatting over the gore, Ash picked up the metal pieces, three in total. Tilting his head, Ash realized quickly that the parts didn't go together and were instead remarkably whole pieces unto themselves. Humming, Ash tossed the pieces back down and was finally ready to move on when he stood up.

Walking through the security doors that had been locked mere moments ago, Ash reluctantly got onto the elevator and drummed his fingers uneasily against his thigh as he rode it up to the roof. When he arrived, he had to use a terminal to open another door and then he walked out into the rainy night. Ash hadn't realized how late it had been when he'd first entered Fort Hagen but he couldn't have been in there more than a few hours and it was already fairly late at night.

Walking out into the rain felt like heaven and Ash sighed happily as it washed over him. Then his attention was caught by the sound of motors coming from his right. He opened his eyes and saw it just in time to also hear the crackle of static as a loud-speaker came to life. "People of the Commonwealth. Do not interfere, our intentions are peaceful. We are the Brotherhood of Steel." Then the speaker clicked off and Ash laughed, suddenly very happy that he'd agreed to join the Brotherhood.

That massive fucking zeppelin had to be **full** of soldiers ripe for slaughter. Humming into the night as he watched the zeppelin and its vertibird entourage go by, Ash let the rain fall over himself. He stayed on the roof enjoying the rain long after the zeppelin was gone and didn't start looking for somewhere to bed down until he was soaked to the bone and almost too tired to walk straight. As Ash carefully got down from the roof, he remembered the parking garage; it had been someone's home not too long ago. Ash only knew because that someone's corpse was still down there, relatively fresh.

Walking down to the parking garage, Ash smiled and nodded. It was a little wet down there, the rain having caused it to flood just a little, but it was already slowing down so it likely wouldn't get worse than that. The bed was dry and so were the many crates all around that Ash was currently breaking down into firewood. He got a nice, manageable blaze going and set his clothes out to dry. Laying his sleeping bag on the bed so he'd have a blanket, Ash got cozy and fell asleep almost instantly.


	5. The Brotherhood Part 2

Chapter Specific Characters: Fancy Dansey, Captain Kells, Elder "why are you so sexy, you're a fascist, Bethesda you're the worst" Maxson

Chapter Specific Tags/Warnings: Puking

* * *

When Ash woke up the next morning, the fire was dead but his clothes were dry and there was a notification on his Pip-Boy from the night before that he'd neglected to read. Checking it, he realized the signal Danse had used to call for help was reaching a wider range than ever before. Ash got his fire started again and had some breakfast while he listened to the signal.

"Repeating. This is Paladin Danse on frequency nine five. All Brotherhood of Steel units are to return to the Cambridge Police Station immediately for reassignment. Repeat-"

Turning off his Pip-Boy and scarfing down the rest of his breakfast, Ash got dressed quickly. This had to be it. This felt like the day he'd get to see the Brotherhood's nest. Dealing with Danse and the other two won't have been for nothing. If he played his cards right, the Brotherhood of Steel would all be dead by the end of the day.

As Ash walked to Cambridge, his mind wandered. Was he ready to fight the entire Brotherhood of Steel after his fight with Kellogg? Maybe he ought to stop by Diamond City first, have the doctor there give him a look-over. Deciding that he felt fine, Ash kept to the path to Cambridge. Worst case scenario, he started a fight he couldn't finish and died for it. Not a bad worst-case outcome, not something he wasn't willing to risk.

It took Ash three hours to get to Cambridge and when he did, he was surprised that the power armor-clad, giant gun-toting soldiers guarding the door let him in. Surely they didn't recognize him as one of their own, he was dressed like a civilian and he, in his own opinion, didn't look at all like he belonged there. But they let him in and Ash realized why as soon as he saw Danse. _Of course_. The paladin had probably told them to look out for a sour-faced teenage scavver.

Walking up to the man in question, Ash gave Danse a sarcastic salute. "Reporting for duty, sir." He said, voice sarcastic enough to make Danse purse his lips at him but not so sarcastic that he felt the need to warn him about insubordination. Ash was saluting, if the wrong way, and using "sir" without hesitating and those counted as wins, even if minor, in Danse's book.

"Cavalry's arrived and it looks like they sent in the big guns." Danse said, sounding excited despite Ash.

Grinning despite himself, Ash nodded. "Yeah, I noticed. When do I get to see her up close?" He asked, his excitement making Danse's face relax into a small smile.

"I felt the same way the first time I saw her." Danse said, sounding proud. "We call our ship "the Prydwen". She's loaded with enough troops and supplies to mount a major offensive. If she's here, Elder Maxson's here." His voice slowly went from excited to serious. "And that means we're going to war."

"It'll be a quick war." Ash responded, sounding disappointed. What was the fun in a war that would be over the moment the other side saw the Prydwen? No one would be stupid enough to fight that.

"That's the plan." Danse said, giving Ash a stern look. "If history's proven anything, it's that an overwhelming show of force has the chance of halting a conflict before it begins." Said like it was a good thing and not something horribly boring. "That being said, you're about to get to know the Prydwen up close and personal. I've received orders that we're both to report to her immediately. Follow me up to the roof, we're going for a little ride."

Stomach fluttering as he had a feeling what that meant, Ash followed Danse eagerly. He'd never gotten to ride in a vertibird but he'd always wanted to. For his eighteenth birthday, he'd planned to go sky-diving with his friends. All of his friends had been dead for two-hundred years now and he doubted he'd be able to find a working parachute in the Commonwealth, so this was going to have to be good enough. Seeing the evidence that he was right the moment he stepped out onto the roof, Ash ran up to the vertibird despite the rain slicking the roof and climbed in without needing to be told.

Laughing softly at Ash's eagerness, Danse climbed in as well. "That minigun in front of you is loaded and ready to fire." Danse informed, smiling despite himself when Ash took the controls eagerly and leaned out happily into the wind and rain. He was made for this and Danse, with no way of knowing the monster he was unleashing upon his brothers and sisters, was feeling better than ever about recruiting Ash. "If you spot anything hostile during the flight, I suggest you put it to good use."

If Danse said more, Ash didn't hear it as he started firing the moment they moved past Cambridge. The wind was occasionally stealing his breath and the rain stung as it hit his face, but Ash was grinning wildly as he used the minigun to mow down raiders, big-ass crabs, big greens, and even several cars. Since Danse never stopped him, he figured it was okay. Once he saw they were in Brotherhood territory, Ash stopped firing the gun and could now hear Danse talking, having to hope that he hadn't missed anything important while he was shooting things.

"There she is. It's been far too long since I've been aboard." Danse sighed, sounding somewhat relieved, like he was coming home after a long, disastrous trip. Which was appropriate, really. "Alright, soldier, this is the moment when everything changes. I hope you're ready."

Ash, funnily enough, had just been thinking the same thing.

The vertibird shook and whirred worryingly as it docked and Ash jumped off after Danse, wobbling quite a bit. It was like that feeling that everything was still moving after getting off an elevator but amplified by quite a bit. Ash had never been on a boat, but he imagined this is what it felt like to need to get your land-legs back.

Discreetly watching as Ash found his balance, Danse led the way and stopped in front of a man who looked like he'd been waiting for them. "Permission to come aboard, sir?" Danse asked formally, making Ash roll his eyes behind him. Was that really necessary? They were already aboard **and** they were members of the same group.

"Permission granted." The other man said, doing a stupid little chest salute that made Ash tilt his head. "Welcome back, paladin. Allow me to be the first to congratulate you on a successful mission." Then he turned to Ash and Ash quickly tried to look less bored. "And is this our new recruit?"

"Yes, sir." Danse said, glancing at Ash. "I've field promoted him to initiate and I'd like to sponsor his entry into our ranking personally."

"Yes, we've read your reports." The man said, sounding a little like he thought Danse was crazy. _Same_, Ash thought. "You'll be pleased to know that Elder Maxson's approved your request and placed the recruit in your charge." It was a good thing Danse would be dead before Ash could ruin his credibility.

"Thank you, sir. And my current orders?" Danse asked.

"You are to remain on the Prydwen and await further instructions."

"Very good, sir." Danse said, doing the stupid little chest salute. "Ad Victoriam, Captain."

"Ad Victoriam, Paladin." The captain returned, also doing the stupid salute. They'd have to throw Ash off the landing dock before he did that shit. "So, you're the one Paladin Danse has taken under his wing." The captain said, turning his attention to Ash once Danse had left. "Hmph. You don't look much like a soldier to me."

Clenching his jaw, Ash glared insubordinately at the captain. He figured it was either because of his age or because of his build and either way, he was going to prove the captain right when he killed everyone on board. Ash wasn't a soldier, he was a force of nature. Still, the captain expected some sort of a response and Ash couldn't very well say all that. "Yeah, well, we'll see, won't we." He muttered, unwavering as the captain glared at him.

"Watch your tone, initiate." The captain warned, definitely not as lenient as Danse. "I've read Paladin Danse's reports. He seems to think you'll make a fine addition to the Brotherhood." He said, sounding alot like he didn't buy it. "You might expect an endorsement like that to grant you a great deal of latitude with us, but let me make one thing clear. The Brotherhood of Steel has traveled to the Commonwealth with a specific goal in mind. As the captain of this vessel, I won't allow anyone to jeopardize our mission no matter how valuable they think they are. Understood?"

It was like he **knew**. He was just barely off the mark, but he could definitely tell Ash was trouble. "Yes, sir." Ash replied blankly, ready to go. He was going to kill everyone on board and then the captain. He would watch his precious Brotherhood burn before he was granted death by Ash's hand.

"Good. That's all for now, soldier." The captain said, sounding a little less intense at the tiny amount of respect, if only in letter and not spirit, he'd managed to drag out of Ash. "Your orders are to proceed to the command deck for the address, after which Elder Maxson wishes to have a word with you. If you have any questions, ask me now. Otherwise, you're dismissed."

"No questions, sir." Ash responded coldly, wondering idly if Elder Maxson had one-on-ones with **every** new recruit or if he figured Ash was going to be trouble too. How much of Ash's insubordinate behaviour had Danse included in that fucking report?

"Well then I suggest you report to the command deck immediately." The captain said, making Ash sag a bit in relief when he didn't do the stupid little salute. "Dismissed, initiate."

Leaving quickly before the captain could change his mind about the salute, Ash walked into the Prydwen. As soon as he was inside, he could hear Maxson giving his speech. Sneaking into the room like a student who was late to class, Ash stood in the back, not listening and just trying to look attentive. Ash, however, was decidedly distracted.

For the duration of Maxson's speech, Ash couldn't take his eyes off the man's coat. It was beautiful. By far the most stylish thing he'd seen so far in this new world of practicality over fashion. Ash wanted it. Thinking about it, Ash decided he also wanted the captain's hat. What a combination that would be. He also wouldn't mind one of the brown leather jackets he saw some of the members wearing. Ash would have to figure out how to kill some of the people aboard without harming their clothes beyond repair. If nothing else, the Brotherhood of Steel had some style.

Waiting until everyone left the room once Maxson finished up his speech, Ash walked up to the older man, not quite ready to be on his best behaviour but knowing he needed to try. Maxson seemed infinitely more important than the captain and Ash was worried about the consequences of sassing him. He'd be very disappointed in himself if he had to start stabbing Brotherhood members without a proper plan because he sassed Maxson and was about to get booted.

"I care about them, you know, the people of the Commonwealth." Maxson started, surprising Ash enough that he was sure it showed on his face.

"Okay?" Ash said, thinking "congratu-fucking-lations" but keeping himself from saying it. What a random fucking thing to start a conversation with. Unless Ash had missed something in Maxson's speech that would make that statement make sense. Whoops. That's what he got for not paying attention to people.

"I can understand your indecisiveness." Maxson said, not seeming to notice how Ash's eyes kept drifting down from his face. If he did notice, he probably just thought Ash found him intimidating. "Turning your weapons on the very same people that you're trying to save can be a bitter pill to swallow."

"You'd be surprised what I can swallow." Ash said, realizing too late what had just left his mouth and trying hard not to look like he was panicking even though he was screaming internally. What the fuck!? Why would he just say that? Maxson was a fine piece of ass, but that was exactly the kind of thing he was trying to **avoid** blurting out.

Maxson's eyes narrowed a bit but he carried on, apparently content to pretend Ash hadn't just made a very obvious double-entendre. "Paladin Danse's reports were quite clear regarding your feelings about the Brotherhood." He said, pausing a bit and making Ash sweat about how much Danse had been able to read in his face in the hall at ArcJet. "And he concludes that you'd be an asset to us. Seeing as he's one of my most respected field officers, you couldn't get a better recommendation." Maxson said, decidedly one of the most animated people Ash had met so far as he talked with his hands.

"Therefore, from this moment forward, I'm granting you the rank of knight." Maxson continued, sounding quite certain of his bad decision. "And, befitting your title, we're granting you a suit of power armor to protect you on the field of battle. Wear it with pride." He finally finished, not seeing whatever Danse saw in this scrawny, clearly free-spirited teenager, but trusting the paladin's judgment. A fatal mistake, but who could've known?

Trying to hide his excitement as he responded to Maxson, Ash gave a firm nod. "I will, sir." He responded, hoping that going for the respect route would end this faster. Power armor! Of course! That's how Ash would do it. With a suit of power armor and one of the big lasers he saw other members of the Brotherhood carrying around, killing everyone aboard would actually be possible. He just needed to get away from Maxson and then he could get started.

"Good. Once you're finished becoming familiar with the Prydwen and my staff, report to the flight deck for your new orders." Maxson commanded, doing the stupid little salute. "Welcome aboard the Prydwen, soldier. Make us proud."

Swallowing his pride hard, Ash returned the stupid little salute, feeling his soul die a little as he did it. Maxson turned away and Ash practically ran to the ladder that would take him to the upper deck. He walked down the hall, trying not to look too excited, and skirted past Danse who was in the mess area between him and his key to victory. Ash got to the area where all of the suits of power armor were housed and serviced and quickly located his suit.

Was he really ready to do this? Was he really ready to take on an airship full of heavily armed soldiers? It might be too much for him even in a suit of power armor. While Ash questioned himself, his eyes wandered and slowly came across the sign he needed to decide he was ready. Someone had left their big laser on the table near his suit of armor. Looking around to make sure no one was looking at him, Ash checked the laser out and it seemed like nothing was wrong with it.

Ducking behind his power armor, Ash took a deep breath. He could do this. Letting the breath out, Ash got some drugs from his pack. He wasn't sure taking all these at once was a good idea, but he was sure that even with power armor and a big gun, he'd need the extra boost. Taking two Buffout pills, an injection of Psycho, and an injection of Med-X, Ash quickly got into his armor. The drugs kicked in shortly after he'd finished the start-up process and he grinned wildly at the sensation of being so doped up. He felt like he was invincible. Grabbing the laser from the nearby table, Ash got started.

Through a heavily drugged haze, Ash fired indiscriminately, feeling hyper-focused and pulled in a million directions all at once. Due to his indiscriminate fire, he accidentally killed the captain much sooner than he'd intended, but the drugs were keeping him from caring. Through some twist of fate, Ash managed to kill every other living thing on the Prydwen before getting to Danse. When Ash realized he'd somehow managed to save the paladin for last, he stopped firing, having not taken his finger off the trigger except to switch out fusion cores up until that point.

"Hey, Danse." Ash said, far too cheerfully given their gory surroundings. Danse wasn't shooting him just yet, so he figured he might as well take the opportunity to chat with the man who'd made all this possible.

"Soldier?" Danse asked, making Ash realize he'd never given the man his name.

"No, definitely not." Ash laughed, shaking his head a bit at the very idea. "It's Ash, by the way. I guess I never told you." He let out a delighted little giggle, sounding decidedly unhinged even to his own ears. "Not that it matters. You'll be dead soon and I probably won't make it out of the airport."

"How-how could you do this?" Danse asked, focusing on the monster in front of him so he didn't look at all of his fallen brothers and sisters. He'd had plans to take Ash in and make a man out of him, having felt protective of the teen from the moment they met. Danse had felt strongly that the strict life of a Brotherhood member would benefit the clearly wayward teen, but he couldn't have ever predicted that trying to help Ash would go so horribly wrong. No good deed, and all that.

Shrugging as best he could in his power armor, Ash grinned behind his helmet. "I thought it would be fun." That seemed to snap Danse out of it and he took aim.

"I'm going to avenge them." He said, as if he was warning Ash. No, maybe not warning, more like promising.

Laughing at the determination in Danse's voice, Ash started firing, his weapon stronger than Danse's. If the older man had been in a more present mind-space, he might've thought to grab one of the big lasers from one of the dead soldiers, but he was currently of single-minded, delusional determination. And then he was dead.

After Danse fell, nothing but Ash moved on the Prydwen. Shaking like a leaf in a thunderstorm, Ash got out of his power armor and immediately bent to the side, puking briefly. He huffed in surprise at the sudden sickness he felt and checked his Pip-Boy, seeing that his vitals were all over the place. He was on the verge of an adrenaline overdose but a quick hit of Jet brought his levels down enough that he stopped feeling so sick.

Taking all those drugs at once had definitely been a bad idea but Ash couldn't even feel the multiple laser wounds his Pip-Boy was telling him he had so it hadn't been completely horrible. Blood loss from laser wounds would explain the extra light-headedness though, he decided, quickly sticking three stimpaks one after another into different parts of himself. Stimpaks didn't act fast enough to heal him right away, but they made him stable enough to move without fainting, so it would work until they could actually close up his burns.

Sighing shakily, Ash looked around at the carnage he'd caused and, despite how bad he felt physically, felt very proud of himself. This was his largest massacre yet and he wasn't even finished, there was still a whole airport full of soldiers beneath him. That being said, Ash's armor probably wouldn't hold up to another assault if he didn't change out some of the pieces.

While cramming snack cakes into his mouth to help get his blood regenerating faster, Ash switched out pieces of his power armor that had been damaged with ones from the dead Brotherhood members that were less damaged. Once Ash finished, he drank an entire can of water and then went about clothes hunting. Putting the stuff he decided to keep in his bag, Ash got more drugs out of it and then swung the pack over his shoulder.

Finally finished with everything he needed to do on the Prydwen, Ash shot up with another dose of Med-X and Psycho. The Buffout pills would still be in affect for awhile so he didn't need to take more of those. He realized he probably shouldn't be using so much Psycho either, but he felt he really needed the extra boost it provided. Getting back into the power armor, Ash went out onto the Prydwen's landing dock. It was a good thing he was so small, otherwise his backpack probably wouldn't have fit inside the armor with him.

Pulled from his thoughts by minigun fire, Ash looked up to see vertibirds circling the Prydwen. Apparently someone had managed to get out a distress call before Ash had killed them. As the vertibirds came around and picked back up their fire, Ash fired back, aiming for their wings and watching as they spiraled and crashed. Once he'd gotten rid of the vertibirds Ash jumped from the Prydwen, deciding that this was close enough to sky-diving as he free-fell to the ground.

The power armor absorbed the shock of the fall and Ash felt nothing. He stepped out of the sizable crater he'd made and got to work on the Brotherhood members in the airport. More soldiers arrived in their vertibirds, but Ash managed those just fine, actually grateful for the great, flying bombs as he shot them down and they killed Brotherhood members who weren't wearing power armor upon crashing and exploding.

When it was finally all over, once every member of the Brotherhood of Steel currently at the airport was dead and there weren't any more vertibirds on the horizon, Ash exited his power armor. He still felt sick, but he didn't puke this time, staying doubled-over to pant for a bit though just in case. Once he decided he wasn't going to puke again, Ash sat against a big crate and took another hit of Jet, hoping to calm himself down before he passed out or something.

It worked and the next thing Ash did was shoot a few more stimpaks into himself. Once he calmed down enough, he'd need to check himself for bullets that might've gotten lodged in his body from the vertibird miniguns, but that would need to wait for his hands to stop shaking. If he tried to do it now, there was about an equal chance that he'd get the bullet out as there was that he'd accidentally pull out an artery and bleed to death. Breathing deeply to try and calm his shot nerves, Ash slowly began to take off his armor. Hopefully he hadn't missed any Brotherhood members during his rampage, he thought as he looked his body over.

Luckily the Brotherhood's weapons of choice were almost exclusively of the energy variety. He had burns for sure, but they were healing slowly thanks to the cocktail of drugs in Ash's system and he couldn't see any actual bullet-holes. Checking himself for injuries calmed his mind and he finally had the thought to check his Pip-Boy. It said he didn't have any bullets inside of him, listing off a whole host of other injuries and things to be worried about, but no bullets. Sighing in relief, Ash laid his head back against the crate.

Several hours later, Ash startled awake, having not meant to fall asleep like he had. He was exactly where he had sat down to rest and he was still alone, so that was a good sign. However, Ash could hear footsteps concerningly close and he scrambled as quietly as he could to his feet. Grabbing his pack, Ash hid behind the crate he'd been resting against and heard at least two pairs of footsteps enter the room not even a minute after he'd hid. As Ash heard them investigating his empty power armor, he quietly got his knife out. He couldn't risk using a gun, he didn't know how many other soldiers might be around.

Sure enough, one soldier came around his crate, clearly looking for whoever the empty armor had belonged to and Ash managed to slit her throat before she could shoot him, having caught her by surprise. Ash realized he was also without his armor since he'd taken it off to check his injuries and hadn't managed to get it back on due to falling asleep. The thud of the soldier hitting the ground caught the other soldier's attention and Ash quickly ducked around the crate as they ran up to where he'd been.

Letting out a silent breath and trying hard to stay upright as his body screamed at him, Ash crept around the crate and slit the other soldier's throat from behind as they peeked around the crate at where he'd just been. Stifling a laugh at the sheer amount of luck he must have to have just avoided death so many times in a row that day, Ash quickly stuffed his armor into his bag and left the airport.

Trying to keep to shadows and sneaking as best he could, Ash made it out without getting spotted again. He was probably lucky it was dark out by that point or sneaking around most likely would've been much harder. Checking his Pip-Boy as he walked, Ash saw that most of his injuries had cleared up during his nap. His everything still hurt, but at least his injuries had closed up so he wasn't at risk of bleeding out.

It was going to be a long walk back to Sanctuary with how much he was hurting, but Ash knew he could make it. After what he'd accomplished today, a little walking wasn't going to be what finally killed him. Ash briefly worried about needing to watch his back for vengeful Brotherhood members, but that worry seemed unfounded so long as he was still in his civilian clothes.

Ash didn't honestly think the remaining Brotherhood would even notice that his corpse wasn't among the dead or that any of the members would even think about one single new recruit when trying to figure out who'd done this. The only Brotherhood members who'd seen him who weren't dead were the ones back at Cambridge and he doubted he'd stuck out enough for even any of them to recognize him.

Still, just in case, Ash avoided the roads back to Sanctuary that would take him too close to Cambridge. Thanks to his injuries, the walk took a week and by the time Ash made it to Sanctuary, he was ready to collapse. Falling into the nearest bed, Ash had a rare dreamless sleep and woke up almost twelve hours later, feeling gross but at least in much less pain. He ate first and then "showered", feeling considerably better after both.

Remembering his prizes, Ash fished his new clothes out of his pack and got to work cleaning them. After they were washed and had dried for a bit in front of a fire, Ash used an improvised needle and some old string he'd found to patch up any rips and holes in the coat. Nate had taught him how to sew way back when, saying that it was a skill everyone should have, like cooking and basic first-aid. He'd always said that he'd get taught it anyway when, not if, **when** he became a soldier, so at least he'd be ahead of the curve.

As Ash sewed, he couldn't help but think about how much he'd hated his parents. They were good parents by normal standards, but Ash had found them suffocating and unbearable. They were affectionate enough, helpful, mostly supportive, strict but fair, and Ash had hated them both everyday of his life since about the age of eight. He wasn't in denial that he was most likely the problem in that scenario, not his parents, but it didn't change how he felt.

Maybe if Ash would've done a better job at hiding how unwell he was mentally when he was young, he wouldn't have hated his parents so much. Ash hadn't had any way of knowing that he should hide who he was until it was too late though. When he really thought about it, Ash found that he mostly hated Nate and Nora because of how they treated his- quirks? That didn't feel like the right word, but it was good enough.

Ash had liked to draw when he was younger but because he drew "disturbing" things, that had been discouraged. He wasn't allowed to be around other children or animals unsupervised because of a few incidents with his peers so that limited the amount of fun he could have as a child since fun to him was harming others, not playing tag or hide-and-seek. It was a damn good thing his parents never figured out what he'd done to the dog or they probably would've upped his therapy sessions too.

Admiring his work as he finished his patch-job, Ash forgot all about Nate and Nora and smiled proudly. It probably wasn't wise, parading around in Brotherhood gear after having killed most of them, but Ash felt better than he ever had, feeling stronger and more sure of himself than ever before. Taking that good energy, Ash used it to make improvements to his gear. He created some mods for his guns and got together all of the ballistic fiber he'd scavenged so far to make a decent lining for his new coat, his favorite shirt, and his least-damaged pair of jeans.

After testing and a bit more fine-tuning, Ash had managed to make his clothes bulletproof. The work on his gear took him all day between breaks but once he was finished, Ash was very proud of himself. Now if he got spotted by any rogue Brotherhood patrols out for revenge, he felt strongly that he could handle them.

Setting his clothes aside, Ash realized he was doing a pretty good job with this whole surviving thing. He didn't need parents, he didn't need the Brotherhood, he didn't need anybody. Ash was doing just fine on his own. Sometimes he did get a bit lonely, but when that happened, he simply chatted with the Codsworth husk he kept in his work area. The robot was much better company now than he'd ever been before, so quiet and understanding.

Deciding to take an extended break after such a large slaughter, Ash spent a few weeks resting in Sanctuary. He only ventured out occasionally to hunt something fresher for dinner than the food he had stored. It was relaxing and rejuvenating even with the nightmares every night and after those few weeks were up, Ash was ready to get moving again.

By then, the rumor that someone had massacred almost the entire Brotherhood of Steel so soon after they'd arrived in the Commonwealth was all over the Diamond City radio station. Ash wasn't sure how anyone had caught wind of that since he doubted whatever was left of the Brotherhood was running around telling people about it, but he supposed it didn't matter. As Ash walked the streets of Diamond City, he overheard a snippet of conversation.

Something about the Institute and a group called the Railroad and following the Freedom Trail. It made Ash curious enough that he decided to investigate. He did a bit of digging around and gathered that the Railroad opposed the Institute and that it was rumored that if you wanted to find them, all you had to do was follow the Freedom Trail. Deciding then and there that finding this Railroad would be his next project, Ash set off.


	6. The Railroad

Characters: Finn, Mayor Hancock, KL-E-0, Daisy, Desdemona, Deacon, Pickman, Ham

Tags/Warnings: Mention of ghoul racism

* * *

Since he had walked the Freedom Trail once during a school trip, Ash knew about where it was located. Exiting the Mediocre Green Jewel, Ash started his trek. He was decked out in his new Brotherhood gear which no one in Diamond City recognized as such. Ash decided it was a good thing that he'd taken out the Brotherhood as early as he had otherwise their insignia, which Ash hadn't removed from his hat because it looked cool, might've been more recognizable and gotten him into trouble.

Coming across some big greens, which he'd learned were called super mutants, a few ferals, and even a rogue Brotherhood patrol, Ash's walk to the start of the Freedom Trail was an eventful one. He made it though and laughed softly at the stupidity of what he was about to do as he started following the red line that would take him all throughout the Boston Commons. Just before he set off, Ash noticed a number and letter on the plaque that marked the start of the Freedom Trail.

Humming curiously, Ash made a note of the letter and number and kept moving. He found several more letters and numbers but hadn't even made it halfway down the Freedom Trail before he got distracted by a neon sign indicating "Goodneighbor". Looking around, Ash saw the "gate", if you could call the door in the wall a gate, nearby and tilted his head. A town? Temporarily forgetting about the Freedom Trail, Ash entered Goodneighbor, looking around as he stepped through the door that served as the entrance.

It wasn't any Diamond City, but it had a charm to it that Diamond City could only wish to one day have. He stepped further into the city but was stopped by a man not-so-subtly blocking his path. His first mistake.

"Hey! Hold up there." The man said, flicking the cigarette he'd been smoking aside. "First time in Goodneighbor? Can't go walking around without insurance." He said, unknowingly making his second mistake.

"Back off." Ash said, drawing his knife and hoping the gesture as well as his general vibe got across that he would shank a bitch if he had to.

"What was that?" The man asked, leaning forward a bit and smirking. "I couldn't hear ya over the sound of all that pathetic." He finished, smirk turning into a sneer. "You hand over everything you got in them pockets or accidents start happenin' to ya. Big, **bloody** accidents." Last mistake.

Stepping forward quickly, Ash slit the man's throat, the motion practiced and opening up his throat with ease. The man clearly hadn't been expecting an attack and just gurgled a bit before dropping to the ground. Ash was surprised by the lack of bullets coming his way for having just killed a man. Maybe Goodneighbor was his kind of town. A laugh from not far away made Ash look up and he saw a man coming towards him.

"Whoa-ho-ho, I like you already!" He declared, grinning at Ash. "Walk into a new place, make a show of dominance. Nice." He nodded a bit in appreciation before continuing on. "Goodneighbor's of the people, for the people, you feel me? Everyone's welcome."

Smiling a bit, Ash nodded, liking the man right off the bat. "Yeah, I feel you." He said, eyes traveling the man. He looked like one of the ferals Ash came across often but he wasn't feral. Ash found he was oddly into it.

"Good. You stay cool, and you'll be part of the neighborhood." He said, voice going from light to serious quickly. "So long as you remember who's in charge." Then he walked off, heading into one of the houses just off the clearing they'd been talking in.

Tilting his head a bit, Ash wondered if the man had meant himself. Probably. He did have a certain authority to him. Looking around, Ash's eyes were caught by a sign that read "Kill or be Killed". Humming in delight, Ash walked over and was immediately greeted by the robot who seemed to run the store. She was nothing like any of the robots Ash had met so far, **she** had personality.

"Well, hello." She practically purred in her robotic voice. "Everything here is guaranteed to injure, main, or kill at your discretion. Except me, I only kill when I want to."

Liking the robot immediately, Ash grinned. "Alright. Let's see what you've got."

"Let's get you outfitted, killer." She said, making Ash pause.

The way she said it sounded far from judgmental and it was the first time anyone had called Ash that. If the warm feeling blooming in his chest was anything to go off of, he liked it. Smiling a bit, Ash looked over the weapons on display. He felt a bit like a kid in a candy store: everything looked amazing and he wanted it all. Still, he needed to exercise some self-control, there wasn't any real need for the biggest, most attractive weapons like the missile launcher that had caught his eye. Tilting his head as he saw a knife like nothing he'd seen yet, Ash picked the heavy, curved blade up, examining it keenly.

"You've got good taste." The robot hummed in approval, eyeing the knife in Ash's hands, or Ash assumed that's what she was looking at, it was sort of hard to tell. "I got that one from a woman who came into town trying to get a shock collar around someone's neck. From what I've been told before she was gunned down by the Watch, she said she came from Nuka-World." Ash looked at her curiously, for once not mad about the unsolicited backstory and she gave him an approximation of a shrug. "I think she was just high, but I've never seen another knife like this one before or since, so maybe she was telling the truth."

Humming and looking down at the knife, Ash gave a firm nod and put his pack on the counter. "I'll take it." He said firmly, parting with all of the ammo he didn't need, a good number of his caps, and finally his old knife in order to pay for the new blade. As Ash held the knife in his hand and felt the weight, it made him smile. This knife was quality and if it had come from Nuka-World, he needed to go there sometime. He added it to the list of places he needed to visit and put the knife away, heading over to the store next door.

Stepping up to the counter, he saw the store was run by another not-feral. Goodneighbor was the first place he'd ever seen them and he idly wondered why as she greeted him with something of a pleased hum in her voice.

"Oh, a new face walks into my store and you're not even screaming yet. **Very** polite. You let me know if anything catches your fancy." She said, smiling at Ash.

Brows furrowing, Ash tilted his head a bit. "Why would someone scream at you?" He asked, thinking that she seemed perfectly friendly.

"Some newcomers have never seen a ghoul before." She said with a shrug, giving Ash a playful smile that hid any hurt she might be feeling about people screaming just because she looked different. "Can't handle a friendly face, I say."

Smiling a bit even as his blood boiled, Ash nodded. "Sounds about right." He agreed, opening up his pack and doing some bartering before leaving. He couldn't believe there were still fucking racists after everything. The world hadn't learned a fucking thing in two-hundred years, it was just as rotten and disgusting as it had ever been. Ash killed people, sure, he enjoyed it more than anything else in his life, sure, but at least he wasn't racist. He couldn't imagine hating someone because of how they looked.

Sighing, Ash traveled further into the town, hoping that a bit of exploring would ease his mind. Considering how little of Goodneighbor there actually was to explore, it didn't. Running out of town to explore quickly, Ash decided to leave, picking back up where he'd left off on the Freedom Trail. Following the red line through the Commons would've been easier without the mountains of garbage to climb over. Funnily enough, well, not funny, not really, more like "horribly annoyingly enough", but that didn't quite roll off the tongue, the mountains of garbage would've been easier to deal with if they didn't so frequently turn out to be feral nests.

It seemed like a lifetime ago when Ash had first seen a feral. He remembered how he'd found their staggering, unpredictable attack patterns interesting. Now they were the biggest pain in the ass he'd come across so far out in the wastes. The super mutant with a fucking missile launcher Ash came across at one point during his walk was a close second though.

After fighting through more mutants and ferals and even a few raiders this time, Ash found the end of the trail: a church. A _historically significant_ church, but still just a church. If this turned out to be a dead-end, Ash was going to be slightly annoyed. He hadn't gone through all this work to not meet a new group he could destroy for no reason.

Heading inside, Ash found some ferals and a very wrecked church. Not very reassuring. However, there were some catacombs underneath the church that looked promising. The catacombs led him to more ferals but Ash felt he was onto something due to the amount of fluorescent green paint someone had gone through all the trouble to spatter **everywhere**. Finally Ash came across a wheel with an arrow and, remembering the letters and numbers he'd found, entered the code.

Not so cleverly, the code was "railroad". A secret door opened up as Ash entered the last letter and he looked into the dark expanse within. Drawing his pistol, Ash walked forward, stopping and shielding his eyes as he was suddenly blinded by a floodlight pointing directly at him. His eyes adjusted quickly enough and he lowered his arm, frowning at the three people he found in front of himself.

"Stop right there." A woman said, glaring down at Ash. "You went through alot of trouble to arrange this meeting. But before we go any further, answer my questions. Who the hell are you?"

Scowling, Ash glared at the woman. The fucking nerve. "I'm the devil. Haven't you heard I like old churches?" He said sarcastically, glancing from the woman in the middle to the two people flanking her and then back again. He was outnumbered, but he'd worked with worse odds before.

"Very funny." The woman bit out, clearly not amused. "It's clear you're not with the Institute. Who told you how to contact us?"

"I overheard some rando talking about the Railroad and the Freedom Trail and got curious." Ash said, shrugging. "Had a big fucking mouth too, I'm surprised you don't get more uninvited visitors."

"I see. I'm Desdemona and I'm the leader of the Railroad. And you-" Desdemona started, suddenly noticing the man who'd just walked up behind her and turning her head to look at him. "Deacon, where've you been?" She asked, sounding a bit annoyed.

"You're having a party. What gives with my invitation?" Deacon responded, sounding mock-hurt.

"I need intel. Who is this?" Desdemona asked, motioning at Ash. _Rude_.

"_Wooow._" Deacon said dramatically, sounding like Desdemona should already know, making both Ash and Desdemona furrow their brows. "News flash, boss, this guy is kind of a big deal out there."

Frowning even more, Ash eyed Deacon suspiciously. "Have we met?" He asked, not sure he'd remember Deacon even if they had.

"I didn't need to meet you to hear about you." Deacon said, making Ash frown yet more. At this rate, his face would never go back to normal. "You have made waves, pal. The Railroad owes you a crate, hell a **truckload**, of Nuka-Cola for what you did to Kellogg. He was our public enemy number one."

_Who?_ Ash racked his brain as Desdemona and Deacon spoke to eachother briefly. Kellogg? Suddenly it came back to him. Speaker Man! Wait, Deacon knew about that? Ash had never had a stalker before, but he was pretty sure this is what realizing you had one felt like.

"Not to mention what you did to the Brotherhood of Steel." Deacon added, catching Ash's attention again and grinning as Ash gaped at him and Desdemona gaped at Ash.

"How do you know about that?" Ash asked, eyes wide in shock.

"I have my ways." Deacon replied cryptically, looking quite smug as Ash narrowed his eyes at him.

"Well, that changes things." Desdemona said, sounding begrudgingly impressed. "Why did you want to meet with us?" She asked, sounding suspicious still, but perhaps also a bit hopeful.

"I was just curious about what the Railroad was." Ash said, not sure what Desdemona was hoping for but knowing disappointment when he saw it. He'd seen it often enough on Nora and Nate's faces that the look was quite familiar to him.

"Alright." Desdemona said slowly, frowning and sounding a bit like she didn't believe Ash. "If we're going to be dealing with you, I need to make sure we're on the same page. You **know** what a synth is, right?"

"Yeah." Ash said, not sure what that mattered.

"Good. The Institute treats synths as property, as tools." Desdemona said, sounding disapproving.

"Aren't they?" Ash asked slowly, suddenly not sure he did know what a synth was. They were just humanoid robots with skin, right? If the look Desdemona gave him told Ash anything, it was that he was wrong. "I mean, they're robots." He added, not sure why Desdemona was so upset but seeing her face soften when he said that.

"They started that way. But now it's impossible to tell a single difference between a synth and a human, so they must be treated the same." Desdemona explained, only succeeding in making Ash sure he didn't know what kind of synth she was talking about. "So we seek to free the synths from their bondage. Give them a chance at a real life. I have a question, the only question that matters: would you risk your life for your fellow man? Even if that man is a synth?"

Laughing, Ash shook his head. "I wouldn't risk my life for my fellow man period, I don't care who or _what_ they are." Ash responded, apparently having picked the wrong answer as Desdemona scowled at him.

"Then I think we're done here. It might be best if you kept your distance from us. Not for our sake, but for yours." Desdemona said, choosing the wrong option herself as Ash's hand began to itch. "The Institute wouldn't hesitate to torture and kill you for what you know. Deacon can show you out."

Laughing as Desdemona seemed to think that was that, Ash switched his pistol for his shotgun and opened fire. He started with Desdemona and it didn't end until the whole hideout was cleared and Ash found himself surrounded by another massacre. It wasn't as grand as the Brotherhood massacre, but it was still pretty good. Sighing as his itch had been satisfied, Ash stepped over many a corpse making his way to the catacombs and then left the old church, coming back out into the Commonwealth to be greeted by the first few drops of rain signaling a storm.

Smiling at the rain, Ash sat down on the stairs of the church. He opened a beer and lit a cigarette, having taken up smoking since the Commonwealth was weirdly abundant in that department. Ash enjoyed the rain but didn't allow himself to get drenched this time, seeking shelter back inside the church before the rain got too hard. He made camp in the first room, finding a spot to make a fire that wouldn't set the whole place ablaze and set up his sleeping bag nearby. Ash had something to eat and played a few rounds of a holotape game he'd found on his travels before heading to bed.

The next morning, Ash left the church for good, feeling directionless all over again. Deciding to simply explore, Ash eventually came across a group of raiders standing outside a house. It didn't seem like the house was their den, it seemed like they were guarding it. Maybe waiting for someone to come out or return? Finding his direction, Ash killed the raiders outside and went inside, getting immediately struck by the smell. He knew that smell, that was rot. Stopping in his tracks, Ash heard some raiders nearby talking to eachother.

"You think we're gonna catch this Pickman psycho?"

"The slippery bastard got away before. But Slab won't leave a man breathing after he's hunted our crew."

"I heard Pickman skinned Roy alive after he snatched him, let the rats get at him. Gives me the creeps just thinking about it."

Breath catching in his throat, Ash listened more intently, creeping closer but stopping just short of some stairs.

"No joke. The faster we clip this asshole, the better."

"Always feels like something's watching me in here."

As the raiders stopped talking to look around in clear paranoia, Ash's eyes wandered to the side and his breath caught once again as he saw the room just beyond the doorway he was standing across from. It was decorated like how he decorated Sanctuary. Rotting corpses and heads on pikes tastefully arranged as a massive centerpiece for the room. Not just that though, there was art on the walls, actual paintings, beautiful, macabre paintings.

Suddenly feeling a fierce protectiveness like nothing he'd ever known before, Ash stood and started shooting. Like hell he was going to let these raider nobodies kill someone who was clearly an artistic genius with a flair for the sadistic. Ash rampaged through the house and didn't stop until nothing moved, being careful even in his murder-frenzy not to mess up any of the displays all around the house.

Hurrying back down to the first floor of the house, Ash took a deep breath despite the stifling stink pervading the air and started on a tour. He took time to admire every painting and ponder the way the bodies were used to decorate the house. One raider corpse had something sticking out of a pocket on its clothes and even though Ash knew he shouldn't touch the displays, he took the piece of paper carefully, unfolding it and smiling broadly. It felt wrong to take anything from the gorgeous house, but Ash had to have this. Pocketing the calling card, Ash carried on.

Severed heads everywhere, paintings no doubt painted with blood, bodies done up in poses. It was beautiful, every inch of it, and only after exploring every inch did Ash find his way back to the door the raiders had been trying to beat down. He crouched and picked the lock after a bit of effort, smiling broadly as he swung the door open. Ash wasn't sure if Pickman was home, but he needed to find out.

If Pickman killed him for trespassing, Ash decided that would be the best way he could ever go. And if not, the thought of meeting the man behind such genius made Ash's heart flutter. What would he even say to such a visionary? He'd never met a celebrity before the war so he didn't really have any experience with being star-struck.

Stopping to admire two more pieces of art in the basement, Ash carried on. As he pressed further, Ash suddenly heard more raider voices and felt a stab of ice cold panic hit his heart. Those raiders couldn't get to Pickman before he did. Going back into rampage mode, Ash tore through the large underground complex, taking out raiders like they were roaches. Ash rampaged until he came across a room with three raiders holding a man in a suit at gunpoint.

That had to be him, that had to be Pickman. Without hesitating, Ash took out the three raiders using his VATS before jumping down into the room. He must've looked a sight, covered in blood and gore, but as he walked up to the suited man, he could tell he didn't mind. He might even have been appreciating the sight. Maybe that was just Ash's wishful thinking though.

"That was close, thank you." Pickman breathed, smiling calmly at Ash. "Those people deserved worse than death."

Feeling a flutter in his chest again and trying not to look too much like someone meeting their favorite celebrity, Ash smiled back. "It was my pleasure." He said softly, trying to sound calm and cool.

"How sweet." Pickman hummed, tilting his head a bit as he regarded Ash. "Still, you must let me repay you."

Heart skipping a beat as a whole host of dirty images flooded his mind at the thought of all the ways Pickman could repay him, Ash tried to keep his voice even. "Really, that's not-"

"No, no, I'll have none of that." Pickman interrupted, serene smile never leaving his face. "If you visit my house again, look deep within my painting "Picnic for Stanley" and you will find my gratitude." He said, taking a key out of his breast pocket and holding it out to Ash. "You'll need this."

Taking the key shyly, Ash was only slightly disappointed that his payment wasn't getting plowed on a pile of raider corpses. "Thanks." He said softly, putting the key in his pocket.

"No, thank you." Pickman replied, turning away from Ash but stopping as the younger man made a noise and reached out to stop him.

Withdrawing his hand immediately as Pickman looked at him, Ash flushed a bit. "Your house is beautiful, by the way. I was admiring your paintings and your decorations." He looked to the side, trying not to sway. "You're a visionary."

Looking quite pleased, Pickman came closer to Ash. "It's so rare that I come across someone who appreciates art." He said softly, tone light with happiness. "What is your name?"

"Ash." He said, resisting the urge to reach for Pickman's hand for a shake. That was a relic of his time, people didn't do that anymore.

"Are you an artist as well, Ash?" Pickman asked, eyes traveling Ash's blood-soaked body. "You have the air of one."

"I am." Ash said breathlessly, trying not to shiver as Pickman's predatory eyes traveled his body. "I have my own gallery of sorts in a place called Sanctuary." He smiled and looked away again. "It's nothing compared to yours, but I'm quite proud of it."

"I'll be sure to drop by next time I'm out for a stroll." Pickman said, reaching out and lightly brushing his fingers against Ash's jaw. "Take care of yourself, killer."

Swallowing hard, Ash nodded. "You too." He said softly, not stopping Pickman again as he walked away and shivering in barely restrained animal urges. Ash had to leave quickly before he jumped Pickman and made a fool of himself. Looking around briefly, Ash made his way to the only exit available to him and took a moment to collect himself once he was outside. After a moment of breathing deeply and waiting for his blood to flow in any direction but south, Ash straightened up and took the key out of his pocket.

Gripping it tightly, Ash walked around a few buildings and found the entrance to Pickman's gallery. He went back inside and checked the first two paintings on the walls before reaching the third one and finding it bulged a little in the center. Tilting his head, Ash carefully, reverently, took the picture down and found a safe underneath. Finding that the key fit, Ash opened the safe and found two items: a black combat knife and a piece of paper.

Taking the knife out, Ash examined it and smiled. The knife he'd gotten from the shop in Goodneighbor was considerably better than this one, but this one was special. Putting the knife into one of the pockets inside his jacket, Ash took the note and read it. It didn't say much, but Ash had to brace himself against the wall as he tried not to swoon.

"Thanks, killer." With a heart clearly drawn in blood at the bottom.

Putting the note with the knife and moving the calling card he'd taken to the same pocket, Ash smoothed his hand over his coat. He felt a little silly feeling so head-over-heels for a man he really didn't know, but that didn't stop him from going through the house one more time after he closed the safe and replaced the painting that hid it. Before he left, something else caught Ash's eye. There was a holotape poking out of a raider's pocket like it had been left there intentionally for someone to notice it.

Taking the holotape gingerly, Ash put it in his Pip-Boy and smiled broadly. He listened to the whole recording twice and then copied what it had on it onto a blank holotape he'd found in his travels. Ash put the original back where he'd found it and listened to the new recording to make sure it was good before putting it with the knife and notes. Sighing softly and looking around one last time, Ash left, making a mental note to check on Pickman's gallery regularly for new pieces.

In the meantime, though, Ash needed something to occupy himself with. He could go clear out some raider camps or something, but he actually felt like relaxing for once. Pondering his options as he walked the Commons and idly cleaned himself and his clothes with a rag and a can of water, Ash found himself passing near Goodneighbor. Humming, Ash shrugged and went in, finding himself smiling instantly due to the vibe Goodneighbor had. It just felt sleazy in the best way possible.

While Ash meandered about the small town, he overheard two people talking about a place called the Third Rail. Listening in, Ash figured out it was Goodneighbor's most popular bar and after looking around a bit, he found it. Deciding that could be a fun way to waste time, Ash went inside but was stopped by a ghoul in a suit. A bouncer, Ash realized, not blaming the ghoul for stopping him since he was still pretty bloody and packing several weapons. It probably made him look very sketchy.

"Weapons stay with me." The ghoul said, watching Ash closely as he took his weapons off and handed them over. As Ash finished disarming, the ghoul held out his hand again. "Lemme see your pack." He said, pleasantly surprised when Ash handed it over without a word. Newcomers always made a fuss about the Third Rail's security. Finding nothing particularly threatening in the bag, the ghoul handed it back and motioned for Ash to go on. "Enjoy your visit." He rumbled, stashing Ash's weapons in the security chest nearby.

Not bothering to reply aside from a nod, Ash went down the stairs. He felt his coat where Pickman's knife was still stashed safely in his pocket and grinned. He'd learned from movies that if you weren't fussy with security, they were more likely to be lenient with you. Ash was happy that actually held some water in reality since most things in media couldn't be trusted.

Looking around as he descended the final steps into the bar, Ash's grin died down into a calm smile. It was nice. Smoky and dingy and exactly what he was looking for. Walking up to the bar, Ash bought a bottle of beer and found his way to an empty booth. He sat sideways with his back against the wall and propped his legs up on the rest of the seat, cracking open the beer and taking a sip. It was disgusting, but nobody drank beer for its taste.

Lighting up a cigarette, Ash added to the smoke in the bar with a long drag and laid his head against the wall. It was nice living in a world where anyone old enough to pay for the shit they wanted could have it. No legal age of this or minimum requirement of that. Just caps and a willingness to spend them. Suddenly realizing this world almost certainly lacked a legal age of consent, Ash found himself lamenting not jumping Maxson's bones before killing him. He might not have been into it, but there was no way of knowing now. He probably could've at least gotten Danse.

Sighing disappointedly, Ash flicked his cigarette ashes into one of the two ashtrays at the table and took another drink of his beer. Whoever the lady singing was, she had a nice voice. Ash didn't like any of the music that played on either of the two, **two**, radio stations that he could pick up with his Pip-Boy and whatever she was singing wasn't really his type of music either, but it was better than classical and the vanilla shit they played on DCR.

Ash missed rock. He found himself wondering if any of the bands he actually liked had survived the war. He knew some music had survived, obviously, but certain phrases and gestures had died off when the bombs fell so of course other things from his time had. Who he wouldn't stab for a Five Finger Death Punch holotape. It was along that train of thought that Ash realized he wasn't even really seventeen, he was technically two-hundred-twenty-seven if what Codsworth had told him was right. He didn't look it though, that was the problem. Ash supposed he didn't feel it either, aside from missing things from his time.

Realizing the woman had finished her song and was now taking a break at the bar, Ash sighed again. Maybe calm wasn't his speed, he was a little bored. It had been nice for about five minutes, but now he was starting to feel antsy. Weren't cigarettes supposed to help with that? Looking at his hand, Ash frowned and snuffed out his wasted-away cigarette butt. Curse his occasional inability to pull himself from his thoughts.

Polishing off his beer, Ash looked up at the smokey ceiling. Was this his life now? Drinking and smoking in dingy bars in between killing people. Okay, well, when he put it that way, it didn't sound too bad, better than his old life, anyway. Still, there had to be more. Maybe Ash needed a friend. Laughing softly at the very thought, Ash shook his head. No, he wasn't friend material, not now that he'd unleashed the dragon, as it were. He felt now that the beast within had tasted blood, he'd be more likely to kill any potential friends than to actually befriend them.

Thinking of potential, Ash remembered Sturges. That had been another guy he wouldn't have minded climbing before he killed him. Ash supposed that was still an option since the body was still in Sanctuary but it was pretty rotten by this point and he wasn't really into that. Deciding he needed to move on before his hormones convinced him to do something gross, Ash shoved out of the booth and left the Third Rail. He picked up his weapons from the bouncer and left Goodneighbor, starting the trek back to Sanctuary.

When he got there, Ash decided to turn on the beacon that would attract settlers to him. He shut off most of his defenses and spent a few weeks proactively hunting anyone who came to his home. It was nice, a different kind of relaxing, giving him the thrill of the hunt with minimal danger. Ash put up the bodies as he made them, decorating between killing. He only turned his defenses back on at night so he could sleep without worrying about danger.

Eventually Ash shut off the beacon, not wanting Sanctuary to become a place people avoided due to disappearances. He wasn't sure if anyone who wound up in his home had anyone they might've told they were going there, but it would be silly to think no one had. If he fired up the beacon too often or kept it on for too long, he was worried people would catch on and stop falling for the trap.

A few days after shutting off the beacon, Ash woke from his usual nightmare-fueled sleep in Sanctuary to find a note pinned to his pillow right beside his head. Frowning deeply, Ash sat up and unpinned the note, reading it quickly. Relaxing immediately, Ash smiled dopily, holding the note close and flopping back down in bed like the love-sick teenager he very much was.

"Very impressive, killer." With that familiar heart drawn in blood at the bottom of the page.


	7. The Institute Part 1

Chapter Specific Characters: H1-87 (original courser character), Father/Shaun

Chapter Specific Tags/Warnings: Self harm

* * *

The sun was setting over the almost abandoned settlement of Sanctuary one frosty winter evening. The town's sole inhabitant was currently away, having hiked up a familiar hill just off the once-neighborhood. Ash stood on the hill, looking down on his home, the gear-shaped entrance to Vault 111 behind him. If he looked closely enough, he could faintly see turrets here and there, chugging away to protect his home from invaders.

Blowing out a puff of cigarette smoke that masked the puff his breath would've made anyway in the cold air, Ash turned his attention to the sky. He'd never understood the appeal of sunsets and sunrises, having heard from anyone who cared enough to mention them that they were sights to behold. The Earth was rotating, big whoop, it did it all the time. Sunsets and rises weren't special, they weren't even that pretty. Blood on snow, now **that** was pretty. No one ever talked about that like it was some rare, romantic thing to behold.

Sliding his right coat sleeve up a bit to reveal his wrist, Ash snuffed out his cigarette, tossing the crumpled butt aside after it was extinguished. He smiled to himself, proud that he hadn't flinched this time, the multiple burns on his wrist marking his past failures. He could've simply snuffed the butt out with his shoe, but Ash liked the idea of being able to snuff out a cigarette on his skin without flinching, it seemed cool and edgy. Sliding his sleeve back down, Ash walked to a small nearby building and nudged a skeleton aside as he stood before a big red button. He hesitated, finger hovering over the button, but ended up pressing it.

Taking his time, Ash made it back to the gear just as it started moving down and stood in the center, closing his eyes against a sudden flash in the sky that wasn't really there. He let out a shaky breath and reached into his coat pocket, taking out a surgical mask he'd died black and given a bulletproof lining, having taken to wearing the mask in order to hide how young he was. Ash hated it when people treated him differently due to his age; his short stature, petite frame, and lack of facial hair made him look decidedly younger than almost eighteen. Sliding the mask on was a small distraction as the gear moved down slowly, taking Ash into the bowls of the Earth. He wasn't expecting to meet anyone down here, of course, but it had at least given his hands something to do briefly during the fairly long ride.

Finally the gear began to slow and Ash moved closer to the edge in his readiness to get the hell off. It stopped and the gate started to open, Ash crouching in order to slide under before it was fully open, striding with purpose a few steps away before slowing again to a more casual pace. He climbed the stairs and crossed the ramp and after another short walk, Ash found himself in one of the cryo-pod chambers of Vault 111.

The pods had thawed months ago but the bodies within were still remarkably well-preserved, the temperatures within the pods having remained quite cold despite the thaw since they'd remained unopened. Ash found his late parents and glanced at one pod and then the other, not entirely sure what had possessed him to come see them. He walked a bit further and sat down on the steps nearby that led to the slightly elevated area beyond the pods.

Facing the rows of pods, Ash couldn't help but think about how astronomically the odds had been stacked against him surviving this. No one else had. He smiled a bit at that. It figured. He'd probably been the most ready to die of all the corpses currently surrounding him the day the bombs had fallen and yet, here he was, alive and well, and here they were, long, long dead. That's just how life worked, he supposed. One day he'd decide he was happy and that would be his day to go.

Laughing softly, Ash fished a bottle of alcohol from his coat pocket and opened it up, taking a drink. What a morbid, cynical thing to find amusing. He'd never believed in Hell, but if it existed, he felt strongly he'd be going there. How bad could eternal damnation really be? Maybe it would be fun. Relaxing. Laughing again, Ash leaned back, one arm propping him up from behind as the other occasionally lifted the bottle to his lips.

Why the fuck was he hesitating? Was he really so lonely he was seeking company from corpses now? Corpses of people he didn't know? That he'd hated? Sighing, Ash pushed up, getting to his feet easily and swaggering over to Nate's pod. He'd been fit for his age, his life of army service having ingrained a strict regimen of healthy living into him. Yet he hadn't survived the thaw. Being reanimated had been where his body drew the line after everything else he'd survived serving in the army.

Humming, Ash turned, taking a swig from his bottle as he walked over to Nora's pod. Would she have survived if she hadn't have gotten shot? She'd been fit too, healthy, she might've. Ash wondered idly if she'd regretted giving her life for an infant she hadn't even known for a year before her breath had left her fully. Had she even been lucid enough to feel anything but protective parental instincts? Ash remembered how his brain had felt slow and groggy when he'd first started thawing so he doubted it.

Setting the half-empty bottle down, Ash walked over to his bag and carefully extracted four mini-nukes he'd duct-taped together. He held the bomb in his hands, feeling how heavy it was, for a bit before setting it down between Nate and Nora's pods. Dynamite was hard to come by in the Commonwealth, but Ash had managed to find a stick and he pulled that out of his bag next. He'd taken the time before coming down here to extend the fuse by quite alot.

As he examined the stick of dynamite, Ash wondered again why he was down here hesitating after weeks of hard work had led up to this moment. Furthermore, why was he even doing this? What the hell was the point? Sliding the dynamite stick in the middle of the mini-nuke bundle, Ash didn't have an answer for himself. Did he need one? Maybe it was just good enough that he felt like doing it. Maybe that's what living free was about. Living without having to question his stupid, random urges.

Picking his bag up, Ash slung it over his shoulder, the pack much lighter now that it wasn't full of death. Taking the fuse, Ash began to walk back to the exit of Vault 111, unraveling the fuse until it stopped just short of the gear-shaped elevator. It had taken him a long time to get all of the barrels of oil and gunpowder down here. They were placed in a way Ash hoped was strategic. He hoped that when he lit that fuse and it reached the dynamite wedged between the mini-nukes, it would destroy Vault 111. Vaults were meant to survive a blast from the outside, after all, he didn't know how they fared against explosions on the inside.

Fishing a lighter out of his pocket, Ash stepped onto the platform just as the gate started to close. He lit the lighter and hesitated for a moment longer before sliding the lit lighter under the last inch of gate, watching as the flame slowly lit the fuse. The platform started to move as the fire started traveling down the fuse. If this didn't work, it would be far less dramatic the next time he tried, so Ash hoped the fuse would make it to the dynamite.

A deafening bang from far below Ash let him know that the fuse had made it and as Ash looked up, he realized he was still a quite a ways away from his freedom. Laughing a bit as he realized now he might very well die, his astronomical odds catching up to him, Ash grabbed the tracks the gear moved on in order to lift itself. He started climbing, going faster than the slow-as-hell lift and hit the emergency button near the opening to the vault. The doors began to creak apart and Ash suddenly felt heat below him.

Sucking in a breath, Ash grabbed the opening doors above him and hauled himself up just in time to avoid getting hit by a visible heat-wave coming up from Vault 111. Getting to his feet quickly but finding the moving doors too unsteady to stand for long on, Ash leapt off the doors, looking back to find he'd gotten off the doors just in time to avoid the suddenly very fast gear as it rocketed up from the depths of the Earth, bending the still-opening blast doors as it violently shot into the air. It was followed by a huge plume of fire and Ash hissed and shielded his eyes with his arm as he quickly scrambled out of the way, getting to his feet as quickly as he could and running.

Smiling like a mad-man, Ash looked up and stopped abruptly, jumping backwards and falling on his ass just in time to avoid being crushed by the gear-lift as it plummeted back down to the Earth. He covered his face with his arm once again as a wave of dust and debris was shot up and out due to the giant gear hitting the ground. Ash waved his hand a bit to help dispel the dust in the air and got back up slowly, taking a few steps away from the gear, the huge piece of metal still radiating heat from the force of the explosion.

Huffing, Ash looked back at the hole where the entrance to Vault 111 had once been and laughed in disbelief at the orange glow he could see coming up even from so deep down. He hadn't realized mini-nukes were so powerful. He **should've**, but he hadn't. There was a rumble below Ash and the teen immediately took off sprinting, running as fast as he could back down to Sanctuary. He wasn't sure what the sound had been, but he wasn't about to find out after avoiding death so many times in a row in less than half an hour.

Safely down below in Sanctuary, Ash looked up at the hill and watched as part of it was swallowed, something of a sinkhole opening up thanks to the blast. The hole swallowed a good portion of the hill, but didn't cause too much more destruction, making Ash let out a sigh of relief. He would've left Sanctuary if he'd had to, of course, but his intention definitely hadn't been to get his home swallowed up by the Earth when he'd lit that fuse.

After an hour with nothing new happening up on the hill, Ash decided it was safe to relax. Surely after an hour of nothing, the destruction was finished. Stumbling into his preferred house, which was actually the one across the street from his old home, Ash plopped down on a black loveseat in what was once the living room of the house and flopped his head back. That had been quite the rush. Ash's arms and legs actually ached quite a bit from the climbing and running he'd had to do in order to escape the destruction he'd caused and when he held his hand out, he found he was shaking.

Was that adrenaline or fear? Laughing and deciding it didn't really matter, Ash grabbed an inhaler of Jet from the nearby coffee table and took a hit, sighing softly as his shaking subsided and his heart calmed down. If Ash had to choose, he'd say Psycho was his favorite drug, but Jet definitely came in as a close second. He'd only had Mentats once since starting his new life and he'd hated them, having spent that whole trip overthinking everything and feeling anxious for no reason. Wrinkling his nose at the memory, Ash hunted down a can of water and then decided to go to bed, stripping down to his underwear and putting on a baggy t-shirt before getting cozy and drifting off.

It was rare that Ash dreamt about anything other than being cold or spaces that were too small, but that night he did. That night Ash dreamt about being alone in a black world. He didn't mind at first, simply choosing to walk, exploring the blackness. It was too quiet though. Lightless but he could see perfectly. He was so completely alone and it suddenly began to weigh on him. Ash tried to speak but no sound came out. _So quiet_. He began to run but there was nothing but black no matter how fast or how far he ran. When he finally stopped, too exhausted to go on, Ash was swallowed by the black. The world seemed to tilt and Ash woke up slowly, a frown playing his face as the dream stayed with him until he was too awake to remember why he was upset.

It was a familiar feeling at this point, waking up upset from a nightmare only to have the dream leave him as soon as he was too awake to recall the details clearly. Sitting up slowly, Ash stretched and got up to answer nature's call. When he came back, he made breakfast, a scrambled mirelurk egg, and amused himself by doodling in an old book he'd found while he ate. Mirelurk eggs were nothing like chicken eggs, but they scrambled all the same, so Ash had been trying to acclimate.

Ash had just finished his breakfast when there was suddenly a blinding blue flash nearby. He instinctively reached for his gun but then realized he was unarmed and still in his pajamas and swore lightly. Ash was just about to brandish his fork when he heard a gun cock and he frowned, looking over at the person who'd suddenly appeared as if the flash had brought them.

They were wearing a black coat of sorts that covered them in a way that Ash couldn't help but think looked prudish and were brandishing what appeared to be a laser rifle of sorts, aiming it at Ash. Dropping his fork, Ash raised his hands sarcastically, trying to think of a way out of the situation he was now in while also trying not to ponder how they'd just **appeared** like that.

Seeing that Ash was unarmed, the person lowered their weapon. "Hello. My designation is H1-87 and I am from the Institute. I've been sent by the Director to extend an invitation to you." They said, surprising Ash with the lack of unnecessary information in all of that.

Having lowered his hands once he wasn't at gunpoint, Ash eyed the person, or synth probably, suspiciously. "What's the Institute want with a random fucking teenager?"

"That's not for me to discuss with you, sir." H1-87 responded, the very pinnacle of calm and patient. "I've just been ordered to relay you to the Institute, nothing more."

Biting back more questions, Ash eyed H1-87 a bit longer before sighing a bit, his face going fairly neutral. "Am I allowed to get dressed first?" When H1-87 simply nodded at him, Ash stood, gathering his clothes and changing there in front of the synth. He didn't have anything to hide and if H1-87 didn't care enough to look away, that was their business. Glancing over for a reaction, Ash also grabbed his pack and then his weapons. He was surprised when H1-87 didn't stop him.

"Is that all you require before relaying, sir?" H1-87 asked, sounding just as calm and patient as before.

Humming, Ash took a moment to fill his pack with his usual supplies and then nodded. "Sure, I'm ready." He said, still not entirely sure how to feel about what was happening but deciding to just go with it.

"Very well. H1-87 ready to relay with asset AR-01." H1-87 said to the air, making Ash raise an eyebrow at them before the world was suddenly consumed by a blinding blue light.

The blue only lasted for a few seconds and for those few seconds, Ash felt weightless. Then the flash dimmed and Ash came back to himself with a stumble. A strong hand on his arm kept him from collapsing as Ash caught his bearings and let him go before he could shrug it off. Taking a slow breath, Ash looked around and let out a low hum. So this really was the Institute.

"I hope there's more." Ash muttered to his escort, not yet impressed.

Giving a nod, H1-87 started walking. "Indeed there is. Follow me, sir."

_Sir_. That had gotten annoying fast. Ash rolled his eyes but followed, curiosity leading him like it so often did. H1-87 led him to an odd-looking elevator that opened up as they neared it. They both boarded and H1-87 pressed the button to start it up. It was a far-cry from the elevators in the Commonwealth, all smooth and stable and big enough to not be anxiety-inducing. As the elevator moved painfully slowly, Ash eventually got his first glimpse of the Institute.

"Welcome to the Institute, sir." H1-87 said hollowly, glancing at Ash out of the corner of their eyes.

Eyes widening, Ash took it all in. It was beautiful. Serene. Peaceful. Smiling as his eyes narrowed, Ash let out a little laugh. It would burn so beautifully. H1-87 eventually looked away from Ash, having a hard time making out his reaction underneath his low-brimmed hat and surgical mask but wrongly deciding that the laugh was probably a good sign.

The elevator moved down past the incredible view and finally stopped. The door opened and Ash followed his escort down a hall and into another elevator. Furrowing his brow, Ash sighed as H1-87 looked at him expectantly and boarded the new, smaller, _too small, remember to breathe_, elevator. "Seems a bit redundant, doesn't it?" He grumbled to H1-87, going to lean against the wall of the elevator but changing his mind upon seeing that it was an open lift and that he'd get quite a scraping from being dragged against the wall if he tried.

"The Director, Father, had hoped you'd forgive the extra security protocol." H1-87 said, glancing at Ash. "The first elevator normally opens into the heart of the Institute while this elevator will take you directly to Father's quarters."

"That makes sense, I guess. Don't want me going for the populace if it turns out I'm batshit." Ash said, shifting uncomfortably as the elevator stopped. _Don't run, play it cool_.

"Exactly, sir." H1-87 agreed easily, exiting the elevator first when it stopped. They didn't really know what "batshit" meant, but they could infer from the context Ash had used it in that it wasn't something good, so agreeing seemed like the appropriate thing to do.

Getting distracted from his panic by amusement as H1-87 agreed with him, Ash followed his escort out into a room taken right from the past without any dirt or garbage or signs of decay. The big glass cage in the corner was a little concerning, but other than that, the room reminded him of a pre-war hospital waiting room or something else equally sterile and innocuous.

The door next to the cage opened and an older man stepped into the room, giving H1-87 an acknowledging glance before turning his amber eyes on Ash. Narrowing his eyes, Ash realized immediately that he recognized those eyes. They were his eyes, Nora's eyes, a trait he and Shaun had both gotten from her. Amber eyes hadn't gotten any more common post-war, Ash hadn't met a single person with them before he left Nora's defrosted corpse to be blown up in Vault 111. "Shaun?" Ash asked after scrutinizing the older man for awhile.

Eyes widening, the man looked surprised, but then he smiled a bit. "I should've known you'd be intelligent, we share DNA, after all." He said, looking pleased that Ash had recognized him.

Tipping his hat back a bit and tapping the corner of his left eye a few times, Ash tilted his head slightly to the side. "The eyes gave it away." He replied, looking Shaun up and down slowly. "Guess I'm not the older brother anymore." Ash mumbled, frowning a bit.

"Well, technically, you're still older, but I suppose time is complicated in that way." Shaun said, motioning for Ash to follow him and walking into the nicest bedroom Ash had seen in a very long time. "Sit with me, Asher, we have much to discuss." He said, motioning to an armchair.

Frowning a bit, Ash plopped down in the chair, removing his hat and mask. "It's Ash." He corrected, looking boredly at Shaun as he sat across from him in another armchair.

"Of course." Shaun replied, pouring Ash and himself a glass of bourbon. "I've been watching you, Ash. Ever since you left Vault 111, I've been keeping tabs on you."

"Cool." Ash replied sarcastically, taking the glass and leaning back in the chair before taking a gulp. "Why should I care? In fact, why did you invite me here?"

"Straight to the point I see." Shaun said, smiling a bit despite Ash's attitude and sipping his bourbon. "I can appreciate that. Time is a precious commodity, after all." He set his drink down and looked at Ash seriously, his familiar eyes hard. "You've killed many people since leaving Vault 111."

"Wow, give Captain Obvious here an award." Ash muttered, polishing off his glass and setting it down before taking the bottle. "What's your point?"

Sighing a bit at Ash's difficult behaviour, Shaun tried to keep his voice even. "You would've made a fantastic older brother." He said, voice not harboring even a hint of sarcasm but tone giving Ash the distinct impression that he didn't mean that in a good way.

Grinning around the bottle he was now taking regular sips from, Ash shrugged. "Always thought I had that "stereotypical asshole big brother" energy." He agreed, sounding oddly proud.

Laughing a bit, Shaun shook his head. "I invited you here to make you an offer." He finally said, deciding to just get to the point. "You single-handedly destroyed the bulk of both the Brotherhood of Steel and the Railroad. Two formidable adversaries, one of which has been causing the Institute problems for years. Needless to say, we were all very impressed. That one teenager from such a different time could be capable of so much raw destruction- well, it's turned heads."

"Look, I definitely did not come all this way to have you stroke my ego, so if you could get on with the offer part of this meeting, that would be swell." Ash said, glancing at H1-87 who'd just made a sound something between a growl and a scoff.

Giving H1-87 a warning look, Shaun sighed. "We- **I** would like you to work for the Institute."

"Oh yeah?" Ash said, looking amused. "What, you point me in a direction, go "sic 'em, boy", and I kill whatever you need killed?" He leaned forward, grinning, and tilted his head a bit. "A brand new attack dog since I killed the last one?"

"Something like that." Shaun agreed slowly, getting the impression Ash wasn't interested.

Humming, Ash leaned back in his chair again. "Almost sounds sort of fun." He muttered, swirling the last few swallows of bourbon around in the bottle. "But, to be honest, I'd rather watch all this burn." Ash said, looking at H1-87 again as they leveled their gun at him.

Raising a hand at H1-87 so they lowered their gun, Shaun leaned forward. "I had a feeling you would say that." He admitted, getting Ash to look at him. "However, I'd like you to take more time before deciding. Give the Institute a chance to prove it's worth curbing your destructive urges for." Shaun said, sounding quite sure of himself. "We've got warm showers and clean beds if you'll give us a chance for no other reason."

Pursing his lips, Ash pondered Shaun's offer seriously this time. A hot shower did sound nice. He hadn't had anything besides wasteland showers since waking up and they weren't all that great. Narrowing his eyes, Ash stared at Shaun's calm, certain face for a bit longer before sighing. "Damn. Alright." He sighed, shoulders slumping in defeat. "Appealing to my base need for hygiene is a dirty fucking move, but you've got me, I'll give this place a shot."

Grinning triumphantly, Shaun straightened up. "I'm so pleased to hear that, Ash." He said, sounding it. "We've already got a room ready for you, but if you have any other questions for me before H1-87 takes you, I'd be happy to answer them."

"Let's save family bonding for after I've been buttered up with a hot shower." Ash said, standing and putting his hat and mask back on.

"Of course. Take all the time you need and feel free to explore." Shaun said, standing and still smiling at Ash. "My door is always open should you find yourself curious about something."

"Noted." Ash replied blankly, slightly annoyed by Shaun's unwavering smile even in the face of his coldness. Turning away from the older, except not, man, Ash looked at H1-87 expectantly and followed the synth as they began walking. They led him to a hallway not far from Shaun's room and stopped just short of the door.

"Father has ordered me to ensure your comfort here, but I must first ask you to hand over your weapons." They said, holding out one hand expectantly.

"Ouch, no trust?" Ash asked, beginning to disarm even as he did so.

"I'm afraid not, sir." H1-87 replied, taking the weapons when Ash handed them over. "I'll also need the ones from your pack." They said, setting Ash's weapons aside and taking off their own pack in preparation.

Sighing dramatically, Ash took his pack off and removed the absurd amount of molotov cocktails within, handing them over to H1-87 and watching them disappear into the synth's pack. "Gonna frisk me too?" He asked sarcastically, slinging his pack back over his shoulder.

"No, sir." H1-87 replied, putting their own pack back on and picking up Ash's weapons once again. They stepped back and pressed a button to open the door to Ash's room.

Trying not to feel disappointed at being denied a good pat-down, Ash stepped into the room, giving a light hum of approval. "Not bad." He muttered, tossing his pack onto the nearby coffee table and sliding his coat off. He was excited to get at that promised shower.

"I'll have someone pick up your clothes for cleaning." H1-87 informed, watching with a blank expression as Ash slowly but surely disrobed in front of them. "Is there anything you need in the meantime, sir?"

"No." Ash replied, glancing over his shoulder at H1-87 as he pulled his shirt over his head and went for the zipper of his jeans. "I think I'll manage from here." After giving a nod, H1-87 left and Ash poked the button to close the door to his room. Getting out of his jeans, Ash took Pickman's knife out of his coat pocket and hid it in his pack along with the waterproof bag that held all of the other mementos he'd collected from the other killer. He finished stripping and found his way to the bathroom easily, almost being able to hear a choir singing when he saw the actual, functioning shower there.

As Ash took his long, hot shower, his mind wandered to the situation he was now in. He'd admitted to wanting to burn the Institute down and Shaun still wanted him to work for them. Was he really that valuable or was Shaun feeling some sort of misguided familial obligation to not have to kill him? Scrubbing the grime from his hair with real, proper shampoo, Ash hummed. Did it matter? The real question was if he was going to let himself be bought for a hot shower.

Rinsing his hair out, Ash frowned, realizing that yes, he just might. How bad could it be being the Institute's attack dog? Maybe it would be fun. It **sounded** sort of fun. Scrubbing his burned wrist more gingerly than the rest of himself, Ash decided to at least give living in the Institute a chance. Maybe he'd hang around for a week, live posh, make all these sheltered fucks uncomfortable, and then come to a proper decision. Shaun **had** told him to take his time.

Washing the remaining soap off of himself, Ash stood under the spray for a little longer than necessary and then cut the water off, getting out and looking at the fluffy white towel waiting there for him like a lover he hadn't seen in years. He grabbed the towel, still warm from tumbling around in a working dryer, and dried off, finding the idea of losing **this** less and less appealing with every stroke of the soft fabric over his skin.

In the middle of ruffling his hair around in the towel, Ash realized something. He didn't necessarily need to destroy the Institute, just all the people within. If he could figure out how to keep the synths around so they could keep everything running, then he could kill all the people and keep all this for himself. Lowering the towel to reveal to no one in particular a devious grin, Ash giggled. That was genius. Genius in theory, anyway. He'd need to figure out how to make the synths loyal to him instead of the Institute, but if he could clear that hurdle, he'd be all set.

This new plan might require him to do some jobs for Shaun, gain his trust, but Ash was prepared for that. Maybe if he was sneaky enough, he could get how to reprogram the synths out of Shaun or one of his underlings. He wasn't good at sneaky though. Tossing the towel into the hamper he figured it went in, Ash walked into his room and found some fresh clothes folded neatly on the coffee table for him, his old clothes gone. **They** were good at sneaky, he hadn't heard anything over the spray of the shower and his own thoughts.

Ash briefly considered that that probably meant he wasn't very perceptive more than it meant whoever had taken his laundry was sneaky as he pulled on a pair of pants that fit him oddly perfectly, but discarded the thought along with the briefs he'd been provided. He did have a bad habit of getting lost in his own head, but he was still a fairly perceptive person. Furthermore, those briefs could go screw themselves. Like hell he was going to wear underwear in clothes this freaking soft.

Pulling his shirt on, Ash found the sleeves were thin enough that his Pip-Boy fit over them easily. He locked it back in place simply because it felt weird to not wear it at this point and got into his pack. Ash slid a pack of smokes and a lighter into the pockets at the bottom of his shirt and then put on the socks he'd been given, neglecting the shoes that were supposed to go with them. Finishing up by running a brush through his hair, Ash left his room and started exploring.

The Institute was big and a little confusing, but Ash had time so he simply allowed himself to get lost while he explored. He caught quite a few people casting him curious looks as he explored and even more people glancing his way nervously. Ash didn't particularly care, let them be afraid, let them be uncomfortable. They should be, Ash was basically a time-bomb.

It took Ash a decidedly imperceptive amount of time to realize that the people who looked at him curiously were all dressed in identical jumpsuits while the people who looked nervous had clothes that were much more varied. Then Ash noticed how the ones in jumpsuits were more often working on things like maintenance and cleaning while the others were mostly meandering about. So the jumpsuited ones were the synths, Ash thought. The ones that the Railroad had dedicated their lives to, the almost human ones.

There were plenty of people in those black coats too and Ash figured they must also all be synths since H1-87 was. They must be special though, Ash decided, maybe they were elite synths or something. After walking for about an hour, everything started to look the same and then Ash found himself outside of Shaun's room. He was about to walk on by but then he decided he didn't need a week to make his decision. Ash wanted the Institute and he was going to do what he had to do to get it.

Walking into Shaun's room, Ash found the technically younger man easily and cleared his throat. Shaun looked up from the papers he was looking over and smiled lightly at Ash. "Have you explored yet?" He asked, setting the papers down to give Ash his full attention.

"A little." Ash muttered, moving on quickly. "I think I'd be okay with being your new attack dog."

Blinking in surprise, Shaun's smile grew. "Well, I wasn't expecting you to come to a decision so soon."

Giving a shrug, Ash finally looked at Shaun, his eyes having been wandering about before that point. "I'm impulsive."

"Indeed you are." Shaun agreed, motioning to the chair across from him. "If you would indulge me, I have some questions for you."

"Do I have to?" Ash asked, not moving from his spot.

"Of course not." Shaun said, lowering his hand and sounding decidedly unoffended.

Nodding a bit, Ash walked over and sat across from Shaun, crossing one leg over the other at the knee and resting his elbow on the chair arm in order to prop his head on his fist. "Alright. What d'you want?" He asked, deciding on yet another impulse and maybe a little curiosity to indulge Shaun.

Looking pleased, Shaun picked the papers back up from the table and shuffled a few of them about before settling on the one he apparently wanted. "You blew up Vault 111." He said, looking from the papers to Ash.

"That's not a question." Ash said, frowning at Shaun.

"Why did you do it? What was the point?"

"Dunno." Ash said, giving a shrug. "I just started moving explosives in one day and everything escalated from there."

"That's it? An impulse? No other reason?" Shaun asked, sounding interested though his face gave away very little.

Making a face, Ash shrugged again. "I don't think things through, that's not living free." Granted that had only become part of his "living free" code recently, but it was just as much a part of it as murder and being an unapologetic asshole. The holy tenants, Ash thought, smiling a bit as Shaun hummed and flipped through his papers. Murder as thy heart desires, do not censor thy assholery, and indulge all random urges without question. Shall ye keep true to these tenants, ye shall know the truest way of living. Ash had to stifle laughter and fight his smile down as Shaun looked up and started talking again.

"I suppose random urges were the reason you've done most everything you've done out in the wastes?" Shaun asked, not seeming to notice Ash's ghost of a smile.

"Pretty much. I mean, the murdery parts weren't really random so much as a life-long thing I've been dealing with, but other than that, yeah. Pretty random." Ash muttered, eyes going back to wandering. This was boring. What was the point? Why did Shaun care?

"Life-long?" Shaun asked, leaning forward a bit. "You've wanted to kill since before the war?"

"Why do you care?" Ash suddenly snapped, neutral expression suddenly giving way to annoyance as he glared at Shaun.

"So many people must kill in the terrible world above that it isn't quite as taboo as I understand it once was." Shaun started, leaning back again as he regarded his moody technically-older sibling. "Had you started killing out of necessity because that world simply demands it, it wouldn't be nearly as fascinating as knowing that you've always been this way."

"So I'm fascinating." Ash said, tone mostly calm again, face following suit. "You sound like a therapist." He muttered, the leg that was crossed over the other swaying a bit in agitation.

Giving a light laugh, Shaun set the papers aside once again. "Yes, well, I suppose that's enough for today. You've indulged my curiosity and now I imagine you're eager to get your hands bloody."

Perking up a bit, Ash raised an eyebrow at Shaun. "What'd you have in mind?" He asked curiously, not even feeling that annoyed when Shaun laughed again.

"As I'm sure you can imagine, synths can be rather dangerous without proper supervision." Shaun started, ignoring the way Ash groaned softly and rolled his eyes. "The superior synth mind and body attempting to wrestle with something approaching free will can be a recipe for chaos."

"You couldn't pay me to care less." Ash said, leg having gone back to swaying as Shaun beat around the bush. "If you're trying to figure out if I'm okay with whatever the dynamic is you've got going on with the synths, I promise I don't give a shit."

Looking relieved despite Ash's attitude, Shaun gave a nod. "I'm glad to hear that. Can I assume that means you believe that synths are tools and not sentient beings?"

Giving a shrug, Ash began to pick at one of his cigarette burn scabs, his shirt sleeve having ridden up enough to show the ones closest to his hand. "Sure, whatever. I wouldn't honestly care even if they were people." He admitted, looking up at Shaun in time to see him grimacing at his burn scabs.

"Well, that's slightly less reassuring, but I'll take what I can get." Shaun said, giving a sigh and trying not to watch Ash. "A rogue synth has taken over the gang at Libertalia. His memories have been erased and his identity altered. He believes he's a man named Gabriel." He informed, holding his hand up before Ash could say something impatient. "I've dispatched a courser to Libertalia. I'd like you to join them and reclaim that synth."

"Is it H1-87?" Ash asked, ceasing his picking and looking at Shaun.

"Indeed it is." Shaun said, sounding slightly relieved now that Ash was done being gross. "Is that a problem?"

"No." Ash said, standing up and fixing his sleeve. "The opposite, actually. I'm gonna need my gear."

"Your clothes have been delivered to your room and your weapons are with H1-87." Shaun said, a bit surprised that Ash had basically just admitted to liking H1-87 but neither his voice nor his face giving that away. "You'll be relayed directly to their location so you won't need them until you arrive."

"Alright. See you once I've got that synth back." Ash said, leaving Shaun and heading to his own room. As he got dressed, Ash found a note that had been folded into his coat. Raising an eyebrow, Ash read the note and fished around in the pocket of his coat, finding a small metal device that the note described. Humming, Ash finished getting dressed and grabbed his pack before plugging the device into his Pip-Boy. The world flashed blue and when Ash came out of it, he was swaying on a beach near a wrecked boat.

Looking around once he caught his bearings, Ash saw H1-87 and walked over, holding his hand out expectantly. Without a word H1-87 handed over his weapons and Ash put his molotovs back in his own pack. After strapping everything into place, Ash drew his shotgun and cocked it, giving a grin that was hidden by his mask. "Let's reclaim a synth." He said, getting nothing more than a nod from H1-87 and deciding to take the lead down the rickety boards that connected the ships of Libertalia together.

The den was huge, consisting of at least a dozen ships. This was going to be fun.


	8. The Institute Part 2

Chapter Specific Characters: H1-87, B5-92/Gabriel, Shaun/Father, Justin Ayo, Allie Filmore, Madison Li, Clayton Holdren

* * *

Jogging despite the slimy boards underfoot, Ash easily caught the attention of the Libertalia raiders, an alarm call going through the ships and making Ash grin. Aiming up, Ash took out the turret up on one of the ship's roofs and skidded to a stop once it blew up, almost sliding off the boards but catching his footing in time to turn and keep going. He shot the raider in front of him in the face and jumped over their twitching soon-to-be corpse, stopping at a stairway and aiming up to shoot the raider up in the lookout area of the ship twice in the chest.

Since almost every part of Ash was bulletproof, he could run into battle like a mad-man and go right up to raiders as they tried to shoot him in order to get good shots in with his shotgun. The only part of him that wasn't covered in bulletproof clothing and also big enough to be a realistic target was the back of his head. So long as Ash stayed aware of where the bullets were coming from and kept the back of his head out of sustained line of sight, he felt he'd be fine.

Spinning around, Ash moved on to the second ship, getting two in the chest from the raider there and giggling as he felt the pellets from the double-barrel leave small, scattered bruises without piercing his clothes. The raider went to reload and Ash blew their head off. The third boat was empty so Ash hurried past it to the fourth where a raider was waiting for him in the cabin of one of the ships. Ash crouched under the window of the cabin and peaked around the corner, shooting the raider in the leg as they popped up over the window to shoot at H1-87. They fell and Ash switched to holding his shotgun in one hand just long enough to slit the raider's throat.

Standing and then ducking instantly as a bullet whizzed past his head, Ash finally heard H1-87 get a shot in, killing the raider who'd tried to shoot him in the head. "You're not very good at this." Ash said to H1-87 as he passed, taking the lead once again and hurrying past the next three boats since they had no raiders on them.

"It didn't feel wise to get in your way." H1-87 replied calmly, watching Ash gun down two more raiders on the eighth ship.

"Fair." Ash conceded, doubling back to move far too quickly down a rickety single-plank walkway in order to get to the next section of ships. He took out his pistol to take out a spotlight and then used it to take out the raider on the ship he ended up on, having to shoot them several more times than he would've had to with his shotgun but taking them down regardless.

Jumping onto the next ship, Ash lost his footing and fell on his ass, throwing his pistol to the side in order to shoot with his shotgun the raider who was about to bash his head in with a pipe. He giggled softly and collected his pistol, holstering it quickly and getting to his knees. Ash stayed crouched as he reloaded his shotgun and by then H1-87 had caught up and killed the other raider on the ship.

Straightening back up, Ash jogged on, decidedly not learning his lesson about watching his footing on the wet, occasionally slimy ships. He shot the raider on the next boat and got a nice bruise on his lip as the raider on the next after that thought his mask would make a good target. Ash shot that one in the head in return, the sack they wore decidedly not as bulletproof as Ash's mask.

Suddenly hearing a whistling sound from up above, Ash swore and dove for cover. A mini-nuke hit the water just off the ship he was on and detonated from the impact, making the ship rock violently and sending a huge spray of water into the air. Huffing, Ash peaked out over his cover and instantly ducked back down again as his action caught the attention of a turret on the next ship. As he waited for the turret to finish it's firing pattern so he could pop back up and shoot it, Ash looked over and nearly dove aside again, having not expected to see H1-87 crouching beside him.

"You're so quiet!" Ash hissed, watching H1-87 spring up to blast the turret as it stopped firing.

"And you're not." H1-87 returned calmly, crouching again and looking at Ash expectantly.

Pursing his lips even knowing that H1-87 couldn't see it, Ash got up and kept moving. There was a button he could press to make a pulley bring over a platform that he could ride to the largest ship, the one that had the synth they needed to get, but since someone on the main ship had a fucking mini-nuke launcher, Ash wasn't about to risk that shit. Taking a breath, Ash dove into the water and swam up to the dock the platform would've taken him to. Apparently H1-87 wasn't about to take that route because they were currently drawing fire from the main ship while they waited for the platform to get to them.

Hauling himself up onto the dock, Ash shook off for a second and pulled his knife out, holstering his shotgun. He'd gotten it wet before, it would work just fine even after his dip in the water, but this ship looked more like a house than the other ones had and that likely meant close-quarter combat. Close-quarter combat meant he didn't need to waste bullets. Glancing over to see that the platform had barely reached H1-87, Ash realized he was either going to be on his own or he was going to have to wait.

Not even needing to weigh those options, Ash pressed on. As he climbed the stairs, Ash heard the whistling of a mini-nuke and looked out the nearest window to see H1-87 get blown off the platform and into the water they'd worked so hard to avoid from the mini-nuke going off in the water nearby. Ash couldn't help but snicker as he imagined H1-87 swearing quietly about wasteland savages and radiated water. Leaving the window, Ash entered the first room and took a shot to the leg from the raider within. He slashed at the raider's hand and they jerked back to avoid dropping their gun only to get stabbed in the chest.

Yanking his knife back out as the raider fell to the ground, Ash left them to bleed out. Ascending the stairs to the next floor, Ash aimed for the next raider's legs, getting him in the thigh from his vantage point a few stairs lower. The raider gripped his leg and stumbled, trying to shoot Ash in the head but his hat kept him from getting the probably-fatal wound. Disemboweling the raider, Ash moved on, blocking the wild swing the next raider took with her tire iron with his arm and slitting her throat. That would probably be the worst bruise he got all day assuming he didn't end up taking a mini-nuke to the chest or some shit. Though, Ash thought, that would probably leave worse than a bruise.

Turning a corner, Ash found himself face-to-face with, funnily enough, a mini-nuke launcher and dove to the side. He didn't think it was loaded and even if it was, he wasn't sure the raider was unstable enough to fire it into such a small space, but Ash didn't feel much like getting hit with the large weapon regardless. Taking out his pistol, Ash shot the mini-nuke raider in the leg twice as she spun around to face him and then twice in the head once he had a good view.

Straightening up, Ash spun around and almost shot H1-87 in the head as they suddenly appeared behind him. "Fuck! I almost shot you!" He shouted, lowering his gun.

Giving Ash a blank look, H1-87 raised their gun and Ash ducked. They fired twice, killing the raider who'd been creeping up behind Ash with a machete. "You should pay more attention to your surroundings, sir."

"No kiddin'." Ash muttered, straightening up again and climbing another flight of stairs. He stabbed a raider in the head and heard another drop dead behind him after two shots from H1-87. Then Ash and H1-87 climbed another flight of stairs and finally made it to the top of the largest ship.

Suddenly speaking up, H1-87 stopped Ash just before he could get to the door that would take them to where the synth was. "Just a moment, sir." They said, not-so-subtly blocking Ash from going through the door with their body. "B5-92's reset code is "B5-92, initialize factory reset, authorization gamma-seven-one-epsilon". Use it to make B5-92 docile so we can relay with him."

Mouthing the code over once, Ash nodded. "Got it." He said, appreciating H1-87's brevity in a world full of people who didn't know when to shut the fuck up and get to the damn point. _Shaun_. Staying true to character, H1-87 simply nodded and moved out of Ash's way, allowing the teen to take the lead once again.

"Well done!" A man, who Ash assumed was Gabriel, said sarcastically the moment Ash and H1-87 stepped out onto the top of the largest boat. "Judging by your gear, I'm gonna guess you two are agents of the Institute. So, tell me-" Gabriel didn't get more out as Ash suddenly cut him off.

"B5-92, initialize factory reset, authorization gamma-seven-one-epsilon." He said coldly, smirking when it worked and Gabriel went limp, his two remaining underlings starting to panic. Using his pistol, Ash shot both of them before they could decide what to do and then looked at H1-87 expectantly. Much to Ash's satisfaction, they looked mildly impressed.

"H1-87 ready to relay with B5-92 and asset AR-01." H1-87 said to the air, Ash bracing himself for the relay this time.

The world flashed blue. There was the weightlessness and, as quickly as it had come, it all faded, Ash's vision coming back to him as he stumbled a bit, managing to catch his bearings faster every time. He blinked a bit until his vision stopped swimming and realized they'd relayed him into the heart of the Institute, the elevator right behind him and surprised-looking Institute citizens and synths all around him. Ash was grateful he was wearing his mask since the thought of how he must look to all of these sterile fucks, all covered in blood and soaking wet, made him grin.

Holstering his pistol and his knife, Ash started walking, anyone in his path parting instantly for him much to his satisfaction. Stifling a laugh, Ash sauntered up to Shaun's room, leaving a trail of blood, murky Commonwealth water, and the occasional piece of gore behind him. When he entered Shaun's room, he was a greeted by a mildly annoyed frown.

"I suppose I should've expected you to be so messy." Shaun muttered, looking behind Ash at the trail in his wake and the synths working quickly to clean it up. "But you've done what I've asked of you perfectly. Well done."

Making a sound between a laugh and a huff, Shaun shook his head though he was smiling a bit. "Very well." He said, sighing a bit before continuing. "I'm sure you need time to rest, but once you're ready, I have another mission for you."

Making a sound between a laugh and a sigh, Shaun shook his head though he was smiling a bit. "I'm sure you need time to rest, but once you're ready, I have another mission for you."

"I don't need rest, I need blood." Ash responded, already revved up from being out in the field and not feeling like losing his momentum to rest.

Shaun looked a bit disturbed but nodded all the same. "Right. Well, with the Railroad mostly out of the way, we've been able to find some synths that they had stolen from us. I would like you to bring them back to us."

"Sounds boring." Ash said, tilting his head a bit. "But-" For once it was Ash who was cut off, by Shaun raising his hand.

"Our reports have shown high Brotherhood of Steel activity in the area. Apparently they've begun to regroup at Bunker Hill where the synths are being held. You'll no doubt have to fight through them when you go traipsing up wearing their dead leader's clothes." Shaun said, looking quite pleased with himself. He couldn't see Ash's face very well, but his body language spoke volumes of excitement.

"That's more like it." Ash said, indeed quite excited.

"Let me see your left arm." Shaun said, holding out a metal chip for Ash to see when the younger man hesitated. Taking Ash's arm when he slowly moved it closer, Shaun removed the chip from before and replaced it with the new one. "There. That will allow your Pip-Boy to use our relay system so you can get in and out of the Institute at will." Shaun explained, releasing Ash's arm.

"Awful lot of trust." Ash muttered, examining the chip a bit before lowering his arm and looking at Shaun. "Aren't you afraid I might still change my mind and decide to kill you all?" He asked, his tone light and neutral.

"Not especially, no." Shaun admitted, sure expression not faltering. "I'm confident in the Institute's ability to keep you satiated enough that you won't need to resort to anything so rash to quell your urges."

Humming, Ash looked back down at his Pip-Boy. "Fair enough." He said, tone not giving away just how wrong Shaun was.

"Before you go, I should tell you that I've stationed another courser nearby. You'll be working with her on this mission." Shaun said, rightly predicting that Ash had been about to trigger a relay.

"Aw, no H1-87 for this one?" Ash asked, something of a pout in his voice.

"I'm afraid H1-87 needs some maintenance after their mission with you." Shaun replied, equally amused and confused at how attached to this one random courser Ash seemed to be.

"Fine. I'll see you in two shakes." Ash said, cringing a bit as he used a term that had likely been extinct for a very long time and using his Pip-Boy to trigger the relay. "Two shakes. Like I'm two-hundred years old." He grumbled, coming out of the relay easily and then smiling to himself at his own stupid joke.

"Do you often talk to yourself, sir?" A female voice asked from nearby.

"I do." Ash answered automatically, turning to look at the courser he'd appeared beside.

Humming, the courser moved on. "I've been told to be sure that you understand that you are only to kill any Brotherhood of Steel and Railroad members we find within Bunker Hill. Civilians are to remain unharmed."

Ash wanted to be annoyed, but he understood why Shaun would think he needed that reminder. "Got it."

"Good. Here is a list with all the codes you need to reset the synths within." The courser said, handing said list over and giving Ash a moment to look it over. "I'm ready to move in when you are."

"Let's rock." Ash said, briefly wondering what was wrong with himself as he used another likely out-dated term. Not giving the courser a chance to ask any difficult questions or judge him, Ash spun around, drew his shotgun, and quickly walked out into the battlefield. It was almost funny how any and every Brotherhood member shut up and stopped what they were doing when Ash trudged up to Bunker Hill wearing their late commanders' clothes. "Hey." Ash greeted cheerfully, apparently igniting the proverbial powder keg as, all at once, the Brotherhood soldiers who'd been quiet and still leapt into action, shouting to eachother and firing their weapons.

The moment the shooting started, there were several bright flashes of blue and Ash found himself backed-up with many a synth wearing armor. That's when the pandemonium really started, civilians screaming and running for cover, lasers of both red and blue flying everywhere. It was sort of pretty, all the chaos. Realizing that if he didn't get moving, he'd miss out on all the fun, Ash started shooting, mostly going for Brotherhood members who weren't in power armor since it seemed like the synths were ganging up on those ones in particular.

Apparently all of the coursers that were expected to work with Ash knew to stay out of his way, because his current temporary companion was solely providing cover fire from behind, letting Ash lead the way. With all the synths he'd been provided, the shooting died down quickly. Too quickly. Huffing as his adrenaline was still pumping and his bloodlust wasn't satiated, Ash found his way to the basement where the synths that needed reclaiming were being kept and was greeted by the sound of hushed voices further down.

Spark reigniting, Ash hurried down the corridor and found himself on a platform with some stairs that led further down. As he appeared, every head turned to him but the shooting didn't start until the courser appeared behind him. The basement was full of Railroad members and with no extra synth back-up to get in his way, Ash was finally able to curb his appetite for death.

In about ten minutes of non-stop shooting, the first, largest section of the basement was cleared and then Ash started climbing, going up stairs and ramps and killing everyone and everything in his sight on the upper levels. In another ten minutes all of the Railroad agents and their not-so-helpful turrets were unmoving and cooling off in the damp basement air. Descending a couple of flights of stairs with his escort hot on his heels, Ash found the room the synths were huddled in and immediately started rattling off the recall codes. Synth after synth went limp and Ash let out a breath once he'd finished, feeling quite proud of having memorized the whole list on his first try.

"Excellent." The courser said, nodding her head in approval. "I'll relay the synths back to the Institute. Father has asked to meet with you once you return."

"Sure, whatever." Ash responded, watching the courser and the synths get zapped with blue light. When he checked the new relay tab on his Pip-Boy, Ash saw that it was going to send him to a place called the CIT instead of the Institute. Raising an eyebrow, Ash accepted the relay and didn't even have to brace himself now that he'd done it so many times. He found himself on a roof, standing not far from Shaun. "Oh. Hey." Ash said, a little confused as to why they were meeting here but sure Shaun would explain in excruciating detail.

Smiling a bit at the refreshingly informal greeting, Shaun looked at Ash. "Hello. I'm sure you're wondering why we're meeting here."

"Fuck." Ash muttered, going ignored as Shaun carried on.

"In all my years, I've never set foot outside the Institute." Shaun started, looking out at the starry Commonwealth sky. "Not once since the day they brought me here." He sighed softly, seeming troubled, a plume of smoke due to the cold highlighting the action. "I've never had a reason. And now, this just confirms the truth I've always known. The Commonwealth is dead. There's no future here." Shaun took a breath and nodded, looking quite certain as he turned to face Ash. "The only hope for humanity lies below."

Having listened patiently to Shaun ramble like the old man he technically was, Ash shrugged, looking out at the Commonwealth. "It's trash, but at least it's interesting trash." He said, earning a laugh from Shaun.

"I suppose that's one way to look at it." He said, looking back out at the sky and sobering up instantly. "Standing here, I'm reminded of how fortunate I am that I was spared a life in this wasteland." Shaun paused, seeming to be collecting his thoughts. "The Institute rescued me. Both of us, really." He added quietly, glancing at Ash out of the corner of his eyes.

Frowning, Ash looked at Shaun. "I think I was doing pretty good before you decided to invite me to your sterile palace." He argued, sounding a mix of annoyed and offended.

"Certainly." Shaun replied, turning his eyes back to the sky. "But the Institute were the ones who ensured you stayed safely frozen down in Vault 111 all those years." He paused again and Ash decided not to interrupt him, mildly curious to find out what all this chit-chat was leading up to. "I'll admit, when I had you released, I had no expectations that you'd survive out here, in all this. To not only do so, but to- thrive the way you have- Extraordinary." Shaun breathed, either not knowing or not caring that Ash didn't care for his praise.

Lucky for Shaun, Ash was currently too hung up on another part of his speech to worry about being praised. "You're the one who thawed me out?" He asked, turning to face Shaun.

"Yes, it was my decision." Shaun replied, turning to face Ash as well. "Certainly it was no longer necessary to keep you suspended. I- well, I suppose I wanted to see what would happen. An experiment, of sorts." He admitted, either not realizing how bold he was being or trusting that Ash really wouldn't push him off the roof. "I had no idea what kind of person you were, you see. Would the Commonwealth corrupt you as it has everything else? Would you even survive? Now I know the answer."

"I was already corrupted and the question should've been would the Commonwealth survive me." Ash said, tilting his hat back so Shaun could see his eyes and removing his mask to reveal a light grin. "Bet your experiment didn't calculate for that variable."

Giving another light laugh, Shaun shook his head. "No, it certainly didn't." He admitted, liking being able to see Ash's face while they spoke. "Ah, but you've been very patient with me, Ash. I'm sure you're eager to get back to business." Shaun said, smiling a bit when Ash shrugged. "There are greater things to come after your success at Bunker Hill. Thank you for that, by the way. I hope you weren't at too much risk."

"Nah, it was fun." Ash said, offering Shaun a slight grin. "If I'm too sure I'll survive a fight, it gets boring." His smile died as he seemed to remember something. "I coulda done without the back-up."

"Yes, well, I'll note that for future reference, I suppose." Shaun replied, finding himself a bit disturbed by Ash's general personality. "All that aside, you've passed the test, as they say, and it's time for you to become more involved in the future of the Institute." He said, noting Ash's surprise but continuing on. "I'd like you to join me inside. The Directorate is meeting and you should be there."

"Did your last attack dog attend many Directorate meetings?" Ash asked, looking decidedly perplexed.

Smiling a bit, Shaun shook his head. "No, he certainly did not. But Kellogg wasn't family."

Eyes widening, Ash looked as though he'd been struck across the face by the word.

Seeing that Ash wasn't going to respond, Shaun offered him another light smile. "I'll be waiting." He said, looking away from Ash. "I've seen enough. It's time to go back." And then he was gone in a flash of blue.

Family. Ash had hammered the idea of being without family into his head so hard that, even though he accepted that Shaun was his brother, it was still staggering to hear it. _Family_. Shuddering, Ash looked out at the wastes. He didn't need family. All Ash needed was a synth maid service to keep his future home up and running. Sighing, Ash took a moment, and a hit of Jet, to calm himself before relaying back to the Institute. He'd need the extra chemical calm of Jet if he was going to sit through a meeting.

But before all that, another shower was probably in order. He was still covered in blood and gore after all and he knew he must smell like the long day he'd had. Heading up to his room, Ash squared that away and got changed, loving the shower just as much the second time around. Before he left his room, Ash also had a quick snack, knowing that he wasn't going to be any more pleasant to be around if he was hungry during the meeting. He also considered taking another hit of Jet but decided against it. He didn't want to be too out of it just in case the meeting was actually important.

Finally walking up to the room where the meeting was going to be taking place, Ash found that Shaun was just barely sitting down. Sighing and rolling his shoulders, Ash found himself idly wishing he'd have at least kept his mask as he walked into the room, taking the seat between a woman in yellow and a man in green. As soon as he entered the room, he felt every pair of eyes on him. When he glanced around, Ash could tell easily that no one but Shaun wanted him there.

"Good, we're all here. I think it's time we begin." Shaun said, getting everyone's attention off of Ash.

"Sir, excuse me, but what exactly is **he** doing here?" A man in black asked, earning himself a slow look from Ash. Ooh, he did not like this one. He was gonna enjoy killing him.

"I will address that issue," Shaun assured, waving away the man's question. "but there are other subjects that require our attention first. The level of unrest in the Commonwealth continues to rise as we're all aware. Your report?"

"All Institute facilities remain completely secure." Yellow said, sounding far more pleasant than Black. "Internally things are as tight as they've ever been." Ash had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from cracking a grin or snickering inappropriately. He was still a teenager with a teenager's sense of humor after all. "Doctor Ayo has been keeping an eye on things topside."

"Yes, uh, watchers show no additional threats beyond those previously identified." Black said, clearly still uncomfortable about Ash being there. "The Brotherhood of Steel is still present within the Commonwealth though to a greatly diminished degree and the Railroad has quickly become a minor nuisance at worst. SRB agents are monitoring all known situations, sir."

"Very good. Thank you." Shaun said, turning back to Yellow. "Now then, where are we on Phase Three?"

"Uh, sir, are you sure this is the time to be discussing it? Given- well, considering all parties present." Blue said, making Ash sigh lightly. She was gonna be a problem too.

"Ah, yes, that's true." Shaun said, making Ash look at him in surprise. "Have you heard anything about Phase Three?" He asked, a smile twinkling in his eyes as he looked at Ash expectantly.

"No." Ash said, crossing one leg over the other and beginning to sway it a bit when all the eyes in the room landed on him again.

"I'll admit, I'm relieved." Shaun said, smiling openly now. "It's intended to be something of a classified project, which I'm sure means everyone already knows about it." There was a bit of a sigh in Shaun's voice, but he carried on. "Power is, as I'm sure you've seen above ground, a very valuable commodity. I'm not talking about some abstract concept of control, I mean real, tangible power. The kind that keeps the lights on." Shaun kept talking, but Ash tuned the rest out, deciding this was about to be a very long explanation.

When Shaun stopped talking and looked at Ash expectantly, Ash had a moment of panic that thankfully didn't show on his face. Going with his gut, Ash nodded a bit. "Right, of course." He said, suppressing a sigh at that apparently being an acceptable reaction. Shaun looked pleased and then kept talking, Ash deciding not to risk tuning him out again.

"For far too long we've been dependent on others, on our surroundings. That time is over." Shaun's voice raised just a bit and Ash got the distinct impression that his speech was about to hit it's crescendo. "Phase Three is, simply, the activation of a nuclear reactor that can provide enough power to the Institute now and forever. It will ensure not just our survival, but our prosperity."

Eyes widening, Ash grinned wide. "That's genius." He said, perhaps a bit too enthusiastically. Helping the Institute get a reactor set up would help Ash with keeping everything running smoothly once he no longer had any scientists to let him know what might be falling apart or needing attention.

Grinning at Ash's rare show of enthusiasm, Shaun nodded his head once. "I'm glad you agree. The reactor is close to ready, but recent tests have determined we have a few tasks ahead of us. Thus, we come to Phase Three and to how you will help."

"Sir?" Black interrupted, making a face at Ash as the unstable man giggled lightly and looked at him with what could only be described as barely-restrained murder in his eyes.

"Yes, Dr. Ayo. Previously we would rely on Kellogg for above ground operations, yes?" Shaun said, apparently having already known what Black was going to say. "Well, he is gone." He turned his attention from Black to Ash and Ash realized everyone else was looking at him so he looked at Shaun curiously. "While I'm not overly fond of putting my own brother in harm's way, he has proven more than capable of handling himself."

"Y-yes, but-" Black started, getting interrupted by Shaun once again.

"This is not a matter for debate." He said firmly, voice softening again instantly. "Now, there is one more subject that requires discussion."

"I don't know that this is the time." Green interrupted, glancing at Ash. _Oh joy, another one_.

"Dr. Holdren, it is time. Please." Shaun said, taking a breath before continuing. "As I'm sure several of you are already aware, I have been under Dr. Volkert's care for some time." He paused again, clearing his throat lightly. "I'm sorry, this is- difficult for me. Our best efforts have failed. Every experimental treatment we could devise has been unsuccessful." Shaun took another breath and let it out, continuing. "I'm-I'm sorry to say I am dying."

The room exploded in a brief cacophony of "no"s and "you can't be serious"s, but Shaun quieted everyone down. "Please, everyone, please!" He raised his voice just enough to shut everyone up and kept talking. "I am sorry. This is not how I'd wanted to tell you, but we're running out of time." Shaun said, taking another breath and carrying on. "It's a very aggressive form of cancer. Believe me when I say we've done everything we can."

Turning his attention to Ash, Shaun lowered his voice a bit, apparently under the impression that Ash's silence was due to shock. "We can talk more later." He raised his voice again, addressing the room once more. "Right now, the future of the Institute is at stake. The Institute cannot survive without leadership. The Directorate must continue to govern with the best interests of all in mind. To that end, I am naming my brother as my successor."

"Oh boy." Green said, avoiding looking at either Ash or Shaun.

"You can't be serious!" Black shouted, not afraid to openly and loudly voice his objections.

"Really?" Yellow muttered, frowning deeply.

"Seems a poor choice." Blue said, making Ash laugh softly as the whole room objected wisely to the worst decision he'd heard someone make in a long, long time.

"How can you possibly justify this?" Black asked angrily, apparently not content to just voice his objection and then shut up like the others. "He isn't one of us- he isn't even a scientist!"

"Ignoring your borderline-insubordinate tone, I will simply say this: the Institute has enough scientists, what it needs is a leader." Shaun said firmly, looking at Ash, who was stone-still in his seat. "A leader who isn't afraid to do what must be done to ensure the future of the Institute." He then looked to the rest of the room again, voice resolute. "I believe my brother has already proven himself more than capable in that regard. That will conclude this meeting. Thank you."

The room was cleared in less than a minute and Ash moved into Yellow's seat in order to talk to Shaun. "Lotta bombs you just dropped on your people." He mumbled, not really sure what else to say.

"I know this is- well, it's alot to take in at once." Shaun said, seeming to search Ash's face for something briefly before giving up when his blank expression gave nothing away. "I'm sorry, Ash. I hope it wasn't too presumptuous of me to put you in charge without even asking first."

"Why would you do it?" Ash asked earnestly, leaning forward. "Why would you trust me to lead your people?"

"You are my blood, Ash. I believe you will do what's right for the Institute in the end even if you don't believe it yet." Shaun replied, smiling a bit. "Still, there's no question that some of the Directorate, and the Institute at large, will need reassurances about your appointment. Which is why I'd like you to take charge of this latest operation. Dr. Filmore can fill you in on the details." Shaun said, clearly believing that Ash knew which scientist was which. "There are hard decisions ahead. For all of us, but for you especially. I know that you'll do the right thing." He finished, sounding sure and oddly tired. Then he left and Ash was left with his thoughts.

What sort of hard decisions did Shaun mean? The only theoretically hard decision Ash had faced so far was whether or not to wipe the Institute out and even that had come fairly easily. Did this change anything? Did Shaun's misplaced trust in him change anything? Would it weigh on Ash if it didn't change anything and he still killed everyone? If it didn't change anything, this was the opportunity Ash had been hoping for. Now that he was officially Shaun's successor, he was next in line for the throne, as it were, and he could theoretically kill everyone without the synths turning on him. Or at least that's what he hoped it meant. The one question weighing the most on Ash despite everything else was which one of those scientist assholes was Filmore?

Knowing that Black was Ayo and Green was Holdren, Ash decided to take a chance and talk to whichever of the other two he came across first. For now though, Ash needed rest. His body was tired and bruised and there was a warm, clean bed waiting for him in his room. Getting up, Ash made his way sluggishly to his room, turning the lights off as he walked in and using the light from his Pip-Boy to navigate the darkness. Crawling into bed, Ash snuggled up and fell asleep easily, a peaceful, dreamless sleep finding him quickly despite all that was weighing on him as he drifted off.


	9. The Institute Part 3

Chapter Specific Characters: Allie Filmore, Dean Volkert, Shaun/Father, Justin Ayo, Madison Li, Clayton Holdren, Pickman

Chapter Specific Tags/Warnings: Broken bones, fratricide, body horror

* * *

When Ash woke up the next day it was noonish and he was starving. After taking care of some restroom business, Ash got some breakfast out of his pack and chowed down. He was sure the Institute had food, but he didn't feel like hunting down the cafeteria or whatever to find it. Finishing his mutt jerky breakfast quickly, Ash noticed that his clothes had been cleaned in the night and so got dressed. His equipment was also, surprisingly, still there, Shaun apparently deciding to put the ultimate amount of trust in him.

As Ash equipped his weapons, he realized they'd also been cleaned. Frowning a bit, Ash looked into his pack and realized now that he wasn't single-mindedly hunting down food that it had been organized. Stuck between feeling amused and violated, Ash slung his pack on and left his room, his conflicted expression hidden from the populace by his mask. As he came down the stairs ready to start looking for either Blue or Yellow, one of them found him, which one exactly hidden by the full-body suit she was wearing.

"You're finally awake." She said, her voice giving away that she was Yellow and mildly annoyed.

"I'm simultaneously two-hundred years old and a teenager, I like sleep." Ash defended blankly, refusing to apologize since he wasn't sorry.

"Right." Yellow said, sounding slightly less annoyed. "I apologize for my tone, I'm just eager to get today over with."

"Whatever. What's my mission?" Ash asked, idly fiddling with the hilt of his knife as he waited.

"**Our** mission is to go to the Mass Fusion building and acquire a Beryllium agitator." Yellow informed, about to go into more unnecessary details before Ash cut her off.

"**You're** coming with me?" Ash asked, sounding decidedly unhappy about that prospect. "You gotta be kidding me. First they stick me with that snippy courser and now _you_."

"Well, considering you wouldn't know a Beryllium agitator if is fell on your head, I **have** to come along." Yellow snapped, surprising Ash. Then she sighed and seemed to compose herself. "I'm not thrilled about it either, but I promise to stay out of your way. Besides, this device we're after is very sensitive and pretty damn old." Yellow said, pausing briefly before continuing. "It's not that I don't trust you, it's just that I trust myself more. So, are you going to put up a stink or can we get moving?"

Ash's jaw would be on the floor if it wasn't currently being corralled by his mask. "Who do you think- the absolute nerve- you can't just- why- **fine**!" Ash bit out, clearly not even sure what to say and finally just giving up. "You can come. But you better make good on that staying out of my way bit." His voice lowered, an edge of ice entering his tone. "I'd hate for anything unfortunate to happen to you."

Though her face was hidden by her suit, the disapproving sound Yellow made gave Ash an idea of what it must look like. "Cute." She bit out sarcastically, clearly neither impressed nor intimidated by Ash. "Not to put more pressure on you, but we have to move quickly on this. Are you ready to go?"

Suddenly realizing his hand was itching like crazy, Ash began to scratch it even knowing that it wouldn't help. "Yeah."

Giving a nod, Yellow led the way to the elevator and pushed the button once they were both boarded. "What's wrong with your hand?" She asked, not particularly caring that Ash was obviously bothered by whatever was wrong with it but wanting to know if it was something contagious she should worry about.

"It itches when I feel murdery." Ash grumbled, not caring if Yellow spent the whole trip wondering if he'd snap and kill her. Maybe he would. Her silence didn't give much away but her body language as they exited the elevator told Ash that she was more uncomfortable being close to him than she'd probably readily admit. Expecting that Yellow wouldn't, Ash boarded the relay first and then Yellow stepped in. The blue flash came and when it dissipated, they were up on a roof.

When Yellow hesitated to take the lead, Ash spoke up. "Well go on, _doctor_." He sneered, motioning for her to go. "I'm just a wasteland savage who wouldn't know a Beryllium agitator if it fell on my head so I certainly wouldn't know where to start looking for one."

Sighing, Yellow took the lead. Walking into the building, Yellow looked around and hummed lightly. "We should probably split up to look for the agitator." She started, turning to look at Ash and finding he was gone. Pausing, Yellow listened but couldn't hear anything except wind whistling through the gaps in the walls. "Asher?" She asked softly, nervous despite herself and jumping hard when there was a sudden _thud_ behind her.

Straightening up as Yellow whirled around to look at him, Ash held up an ID card. "We need to head down." He informed calmly, walking up to the elevator. "And it's Ash."

"How-how do you know-?" Yellow started, Ash cutting her off.

"I hacked the terminal upstairs and an old log says the agitator is on sub-level one and that I'd need an executive keycard to get down there." Ash explained, tone surprisingly neutral as he turned to look at Yellow and held the card to the reader on the elevator. "I happened to find this nearby."

"Right." Yellow mumbled, stepping onto the elevator and standing as far away from Ash as the small elevator allowed as he swiped the card and it started moving. To her surprise, Ash walked up to the doors and, after knocking out the remaining broken glass there, practically leaned out of the opening. "That's dangerous, you know." Yellow muttered, not wanting to have to explain it to Father if Ash fell out and died.

Briefly holding his middle-finger out to Yellow over his shoulder, Ash folded his arms on the door and sighed softly. He hadn't been claustrophobic before Vault 111. Occasionally he had to straighten up so a beam or a part of the building could pass by, but Ash stayed leaned out the door for as much of the ride as he could, feeling better not being cooped up in a confined space.

About halfway down, Yellow spoke up again. "What was that gesture?" She asked, sounding slightly anxious but mostly curious.

"What ges- you mean this?" Ash asked, glancing over his shoulder and flipping Yellow off again.

"Yes. Is it supposed to mean something?"

Frowning deeply, Ash straightened up and turned around, facing Yellow and leaning back against the frame on the door that held the glass of the window, unknowingly increasing Yellow's anxiety as the thin metal creaked under the strain. "It means "fuck you"." He explained, feeling strongly that Yellow was scowling at him despite her face being covered. "Don't tell me the bird went extinct?" Ash asked, dreading that he already knew the answer.

"If that's what raising your middle finger is called, then yes, "the bird" went extinct." Yellow replied shortly, sounding miffed.

"What replaced it?" Ash asked, not caring how pissed Yellow was at him and just wanting to know how he could make someone understand a "fuck you" when he didn't feel like saying it. "Something did replace it, right?"

"Yes." Yellow replied, now sounding uncomfortable. "I don't really feel-"

"Come on, _doc_, it's just me and you." Ash said, sounding annoyed. "I won't tell any of your sterile, sophisticated colleagues that you know how to flip someone off."

Sighing softly, Yellow conceded. "Fine. I can't really show you properly because of the suit, but it's sort of-" Yellow raised her thumb to about where her mouth would be and then flicked it outwards at Ash. "like that." She finished, still sounding uncomfortable at having performed the rude gesture.

Actually able to feel his blood-pressure hitting dangerous levels, Ash let out a little laugh. "Flipping someone the bird got replaced by biting your thumb at them?" He asked, tone oddly high and sounding on the very verge of hysterical.

"Yes?" Yellow muttered, sounding a fair bit concerned by Ash's odd reaction.

"You've gotta be fucking kidding me!" Ash shouted, pushing his hat up to hold his forehead in both hands. "The middle-fucking-finger didn't survive but biting your fucking thumb at someone made a goddamn resurgence!?" Spinning back around, Ash leaned out of the elevator once more and tried to calm himself. "I can't even- I hate this fucking- why biting-" Ash cut himself off with another laugh and then he deflated, seeming to calm down instantly and almost sag as he let out a sigh. "Okay. Thanks for telling me."

"Right." Yellow muttered, having pressed herself up against the elevator as far from Ash as possible while he had his- crisis? Temper tantrum? His unnecessarily passionate reaction to the news that a gesture he'd apparently been quite fond of hadn't stood the test of time.

Eventually the elevator stopped and Ash left the elevator first since he was nearest the door. From there Yellow took the lead, going to another elevator. Ash swiped the keycard and tried not to look anxious as he got on after Yellow; this elevator was of the fully-enclosed variety. Ash pushed the button since he was closest and tried not to squirm as he waited for the ride to end. When it did, he practically shoved the doors open in order to escape, letting out a breath once he was free.

If Yellow noticed his behaviour, she didn't deem it worth commenting on, choosing instead to comment on the reactor that could just barely be seen through the dingy glass of a window. "There's the reactor. Not a bad piece of work for its time." She said, gazing out the window until Ash was ready to move again.

Grunting, Ash took the lead this time, pulling out his shotgun in preparation for security. The walk down to the reactor room was uneventful however and Ash was almost disappointed. He walked over to the door that looked like it would take him to the reactor itself but stopped when Yellow caught him by his arm. Yanking his arm away, Ash rounded on Yellow, glaring dangerously at her. "What?" He growled, shotgun lowered but finger on the trigger.

"You can't just go in there without some sort of radiation protection!" Yellow said, a frown in her voice even as Ash couldn't see it on her face. "Do you have anything on you?"

"Look, you're not my fucking mother. I can take care of myself." Ash said, turning back around and entering the decontamination chamber. He practically punched the button to start the process and slung his bag off. Fishing out a hazmat suit he'd found on one adventure or another, Ash shimmied into it, only needing to take his coat and hat off in order to fit. Leaving his coat, hat, and bag in the chamber as the decontamination sequence ended, Ash exited the now open door.

Walking up the ramps to the reactor, Ash looked around briefly and then pressed the big red button. The reactor shut off and Ash extracted the agitator, holding it with one hand as an alarm started blaring. Sighing, Ash started to move but was stopped by two turrets behind the reactor. He switched to his pistol and shielded the agitator with his body as he took out the turrets, a sudden wash of nausea letting him know the bullets from the turrets had pierced his hazmat suit and he was taking radiation.

Swearing softly, Ash hopped the railing and landed with a _thunk_ on the platform beneath him. He then ran up the final ramp and dove into the decontamination chamber, quickly hitting the button and standing under the sprayers as he stripped off the hazmat suit and quickly got his coat and hat back on. The sprayers did their thing and Ash shot up with two stimpaks before the door opened and he hurried out of the chamber, passing the agitator off to Yellow so he could go back to his shotgun.

"Keep that safe and do **not** come out from behind me." He growled, surprised when Yellow didn't say anything stupid but not having much time to celebrate the small victory as they were beset by the building's security system. Three turrets, two protectrons, two assaultrons, a damn sentry bot, and a whole hell of alot of shotgun shells later, Ash and Yellow were back on the elevator that would take them to the exit of the Mass Fusion building. Ash was patching himself up to help distract from the enclosed space and Yellow was simply huddled in the corner of the elevator holding the agitator close.

"That was impressive." Yellow said, finally deciding to speak. She meant it too. The turrets and protectrons weren't very big deals, but to take out a sentry bot by himself and then two assaultrons right after; Ash was a sight to behold in combat. A slightly scary sight, but a sight nonetheless.

"I don't need your approval." Ash muttered without looking up from the Med-X syringe he was currently emptying into the veins in his wrist. The laser shots he'd taken hadn't hurt that bad and he hadn't even noticed the bullets that left bruises all over his body before he'd managed to shoot the turrets, but the sentry bot had fucking rammed into him when it'd flown out of its cubby and that had fucking hurt. He'd be lucky if none of his ribs were damaged.

"Right." Yellow sighed, not even sure why she'd bothered.

As soon as the elevator stopped, Ash strode with purpose out of it, shuddering once he got a good distance away. His ribs didn't hurt anymore thanks to the Med-X but that didn't mean he didn't need a doctor. Shoving a stimpak into himself in the meantime, Ash turned to Yellow. "Can you relay on your own?" He asked, eager to get to a doctor.

"Yes. But!" Yellow shouted, reaching a hand out to stop Ash from relaying as soon as the affirmative left her mouth. "But, I'm supposed to let you know that Father needs to see you once you get back." She said, lowering her hand.

"Noted." Ash said coldly, triggering the relay and finding his way to the medical area of the Institute. "Hey, you're the doctor right?" He asked, going up to the first person he saw.

"I am." The man said, straightening up from the terminal he'd been typing at. "Are you in need of medical assistance?"

"Yeah." Ash said, ghosting his fingers over where he knew he was injured. "I got punched by a big-ass robot and my side hurts like a bitch."

"I see. Well, take your coat off and get into a bed and I'll take a look." The doctor said, reaching into a desk drawer to pull out a tool.

Taking his pack off, Ash took a moment to stuff his hat and mask inside before setting it beside a bed. He then slide his coat off and tugged off his t-shirt before laying on the bed. The doctor came over and used a tool Ash had never seen before to scan his side where there was already a large bruise healing slowly thanks to the stimpaks.

"Two broken ribs." The doctor said, raising an eyebrow at Ash. "Are you feeling any pain?"

"I took a Med-X." Ash said, staring at the ceiling instead of looking at the doctor.

"Ah, that makes sense." The doctor muttered, setting the tool aside. "You shouldn't need more than a brace and some time. A twice daily stimpak treatment should have those healed up in a week. You're lucky the breaks were so clean or you would be looking at a month instead."

"Why a brace?" Ash asked, finally looking at the doctor.

"To keep you from putting extra strain on your ribs."

Humming in thought, Ash sighed and sat up. "Alright." He muttered, not liking the idea of wearing a brace but wanting to heal quickly. The doctor left briefly only to return with a firm fabric-like material. He fitted it around Ash's torso and then held out a box with the stimpaks he'd need. Waving a hand at the stimpaks, Ash put his shirt back on. "I have plenty." He explained, getting out of the bed and also putting his coat back on.

"Very well." The doctor said, lowering the box. "Try not to strain yourself too much until your ribs are healed. You could make the injuries worse even with the brace."

"Right." Ash muttered, picking his bag up. "Thanks, doc." He said flippantly, waving over his shoulder as he walked off to Shaun's room. Luckily his Med-X wasn't going to wear off anytime soon or the stairs to Shaun's room might've been a problem. When Ash walked in, he found Shaun waiting for him.

"I understand Mass Fusion was a success." Shaun said, sounding quite pleased. "We've been quite busy here as well and now it is time for all of our hard work to pay off. It is time to activate the nuclear reactor."

Adrenaline suddenly spiking, Ash grinned. "About time." He said, sounding just as enthusiastic as when he'd first heard about the reactor.

"Indeed." Shaun agreed, smiling at Ash's enthusiasm. "Follow me to Advanced Systems."

Nodding, Ash trailed after Shaun as he began to walk. Shaun was a slow walker, but Ash didn't mind as it gave him an opportunity to plan how exactly he was going to take everything over. The two men arrived eventually and Ash followed Shaun up a ramp, seeing that there was quite an assemblage for the activating of the reactor. When Shaun started giving a speech, Ash blocked it out, hanging back and trying to look attentive.

When the speech ended the room emptied and Shaun turned to Ash, smiling. "I'd like you to do the honors, Ash." He said, motioning to the terminal that would bring the reactor online.

Nodding, Ash walked over to the terminal and selected the command, feeling a tingle of thrill go up his spine once the reactor came to life.

"It's almost hard to believe." Shaun breathed, smile serene even though his eyes were tired. "After all those years of hard work, here we are. We've arrived." He looked at Ash and his smile grew just a tad. "Look what you've made possible."

The almost compassionate expression on Ash's face made Shaun pause and when Ash put his hand on Shaun's shoulder, the not-older man looked surprised. Then there was a sharp pain in his stomach and Shaun let out a gasp, looking down to see Ash's knife buried in his gut. When he looked back up, Ash was grinning. "You shouldn't have trusted me, Shaun." He said softly, gutting Shaun swiftly and stepping back to avoid the spatter of Shaun's guts hitting the floor.

Humming softly, Ash sheathed his knife and walked out of the reactor room. He left Advanced Systems and made his way briskly up to his new room. Going over to Shaun's terminal, Ash looked around in his desk and the nearby cabinets, locating quickly enough the password to the terminal. From there it was as easy as entering the password, selecting some options, and entering the password again. He was officially the Director of the Institute and it was all under his control.

Smirking, Ash took his coat off and left the room. It was time, but first he was going to be sure his take-over would go smoothly. Trying hard to blend in, Ash came across no opposition as he went into each division, the Institute's populace too busy celebrating to notice him since he wasn't in his very recognizable coat and hat. He hacked into every terminal he came across, making sure that everything would continue to run as smoothly as it could with minimal human oversight.

It was surprisingly easy. Apparently the synths mostly only needed to be told what to do so if Ash simply assigned them the same task forever, that's what they would do. The systems like water purification and air recycling were set to human oversight but changing that only required flipping a switch and assigning a crew of synths. Everything was very intuitive and convenient, likely for ease of use, but it worked just as well for ease of misuse.

By the time Ash was finished making sure his take-over would be a smooth one, his Med-X had worn off and it became rather difficult to keep walking. Who knew two broken ribs could be such a pain in the ass? Cursing himself for leaving his bag in Shaun's- his new room, Ash had a hell of a time getting up the stairs. Still, he made it, and he managed to shoot up with a Med-X and two stimpaks before Yellow came up the stairs and stopped in front of the entrance to the room.

"Ah, Ash, there you are." She said, sounding mildly annoyed like the last time he'd kept her waiting. "The Directorate was just getting ready to meet. Father told us that you would be sitting in for him."

"Oh, yeah, I was just on my way. Can't really walk as fast as usual." Ash lied easily, lightly patting his injured side in a way that he hoped sold his story. The barely vanishing pain on his face probably helped too.

Looking sympathetic, Yellow nodded. "Well, I'll meet you there, then." She said, turning and heading up the stairs.

Silently mocking Yellow behind her back, Ash walked over to the terminal in his room and entered a code into it. Straightening up, Ash ascended the stairs to the Directorate meeting area to the sound of laser-fire and screaming. Normally he'd have taken care of the human populace of the Institute himself, but he wasn't eager to fuck his ribs up more, so he was having his new synth maid-service do it.

Arriving on the Directorate meeting floor just in time to see the members panicking about the shots and shouts, Ash raised his shotgun. Blocking the door with his body was a little unnecessary since the Directorate didn't look keen to leave the room with all the noise going on outside, but Ash had to savor this at least since he wasn't going to get to do much else, so he couldn't risk any of them escaping.

Catching everyone's eyes instantly, Ash cocked his shotgun. "You were all right about me." He said casually, shooting Green first. Yellow screamed and Black charged him only to crumple as he was shot in the leg. "Especially you." Ash said, pointing his gun at Black and shooting him in the face. He killed Blue next who looked stunned and hadn't even left her chair yet. Then there was Yellow, cowering behind her chair. Ash walked over and leveled his shotgun at her. "Don't worry, all four of you will make beautiful decorations in my new room with my dear little brother as the centerpiece." Ash didn't wait for Yellow to respond before shooting her.

Holstering his shotgun, Ash sighed deeply. What a day. Stretching carefully despite the Med-X dulling his pain, Ash decided to go for a walk. He walked around the Institute, witnessing the tail-end of the human purge as his synths killed everyone indiscriminately. He wouldn't be able to put the corpses up as decorations himself since he had to be careful about exerting himself which was a bit saddening, but Ash knew he could get a group of synths to help him out. They probably wouldn't have any problems hauling corpses about.

By the end of the day, Ash was the only living human left within the Institute and by the end of the week, all of the corpses had been repurposed into decorations under Ash's supervision and direction. His ribs did indeed heal since he took extra care to take it easy and after three weeks, Ash was ready to get out of his new palace and get back out into the Commonwealth. The wastelanders up above had really gone unterrorized for far too long by that point.

At first Ash was simply going to relay straight to Diamond City, but he realized quickly what a colossally stupid idea that would be and changed his mind. Searching around, Ash found a potential relay point near Diamond city that was hopefully far enough away that he didn't cause mass panic by simply appearing out of thin air. Ash didn't necessarily mind causing mass panic, but he wasn't sure that fighting the entirety of Diamond City would be wise given his recent injuries.

Triggering the relay, Ash came out into what appeared to be a small raider camp crammed into an alleyway between some buildings. The raiders all around Ash were too stunned to do anything until Ash drew his knife. That snapped them out of it, but six raiders weren't a match for Ash. Cleaning his knife off, Ash suddenly remembered something. His knife had supposedly come from Nuka-World.

Humming, Ash examined the blade. He'd been to Nuka-World twice before the war. Once when he was about nine and again when he was thirteen. The first trip had been with Nate and Nora. He hadn't really enjoyed himself, but he'd liked it enough that when it rolled around as a class field-trip, he'd gone instead of spending the day doing nothing at school. The point was, Ash knew in which general direction he should go to find it.

Sheathing his knife, Ash decided that should be his next destination. He'd just have to get in terrorizing the Commonwealth on the way. Using his location in relation to Sanctuary, Ash oriented himself and set off. He'd need to check his Pip-Boy often to make sure he was staying on track, but he was confident that he'd be able to make good time to Nuka-World.

A few streets away from the raider camp he'd just cleared out, Ash came across a rather odd sight. There was a table set up in the middle of the street with three chairs. The chairs were filled with three raiders, or rather, their corpses. Walking over slowly, Ash examined the odd sight and found that it was a tea party of sorts with cups and a kettle and even a vase with wilted flowers in the middle of the table. Laughing softly at the sight, Ash's eyes were caught by a bit of paper weighed down by the kettle.

Pulling it out, Ash looked over the note and smiled broadly. Pickman. Of course. Putting the note back, Ash took his bag off and fished out a camera. Working cameras were nearly impossible to come by but Ash had found several in the Institute. He'd decided to start carrying one around for just such an occasion and began walking around the table to find the perfect angle. Capturing the macabre masterpiece once he found it, Ash put his camera away, slinging his backpack back on. He wasn't entirely sure how to develop film, but he was sure he could find a synth that knew how to do it and once he'd witnessed it, he was confident in his ability to replicate the action.

As he began to walk away, Ash was suddenly struck with an idea. Saving the coordinates of his location so he could pick up where he left off, Ash relayed back to the Institute. The air filters all over the Institute kept it from getting too foul but the smell of death was still the most prevalent smell pervading the air. Walking up to his room, Ash got some things together, feeling silly as he was doing it but trying not to dwell on it. A functional camera, a few extra rolls of film, and some bottles of development fluid and fixer went into a bag. Ash wouldn't have even known that those were necessary if they hadn't been stored with the cameras.

Walking over to a microphone near his terminal, Ash pressed a button and waited a moment for the Institute's speaker system to come to life. "Attention all synths that know how to develop camera film: report to the Director's quarters immediately." He ordered, letting the button go and getting a pencil and some paper from his bag. Ash waited just outside his door and when the first synth arrived, Ash got ready to write. "I need step-by-step instructions on how to develop film." He ordered, jotting down the instructions as the synth began to rattle them off obediently.

Dismissing the synth once she finished, Ash went back into his room and took a moment to cancel the call to his room and add some new universal orders for all his synths to follow before folding the instructions and adding them to the bag with the camera supplies. Next Ash added a wrist device like the one he'd seen Yellow wearing when she was out in the field. Some tinkering during his healing weeks led him to discover it was a relay device. Ash wrote out a note of his own, added it to the instructions, and closed the bag.

Fighting back the voice in the back of his head that told him this was stupid, Ash relayed to a set of familiar coordinates. He hadn't been here as often as he would've liked, but he'd memorized the coordinates the first time so he could always find his way back. Taking a breath, Ash walked into Pickman's Gallery and found it eerily still and quiet. Smiling at the instinctual shiver of fear that ran up his spine, Ash decided to rectify his mistake of not having come back in awhile by treating himself to a tour.

Despite how light his steps were, the floorboards creaked under Ash as he admired the pieces he was already familiar with and studied the new ones. The painting that had been drying in the basement the last time Ash had been there had made it into the main gallery. Snapping his fingers, Ash got his camera out and began to document the art within Pickman's home. By the time he made it to the second floor, Ash had the distinct feeling that he was being watched.

Carrying on regardless, Ash made his way to the third floor and found what he could only assume was a work in progress. There were two dead raiders set aside and one raider that was partially held up in an arms-out pose by some wires hanging from a support beam in the ceiling. The skin from his chest and back had been removed as well as the front of his ribs. The back of his ribs had been cracked outward with the fronts of the ribs attached to the end to make them longer. They sort of looked like wings and Ash wondered if Pickman was going for angelic imagery. A light hum from behind made Ash turn and he found Pickman leaning calmly in the doorway, a knife in one hand and his arms crossed over his chest.

"It's been awhile, killer." Pickman said pleasantly, a calm smile that didn't reach his eyes on his face.

"Yeah." Ash said softly, letting himself smile dopily since his mask hid it. "This one looks like it'll be grand when it's completed." He said, motioning behind himself to the work in progress.

"Ah, my angel." Pickman said, straightening up and walking up to Ash. "Yes, he'll be lovely." Reaching out, Pickman brushed a bloody hand across Ash's mask. "This is new. Very mysterious."

Fighting to maintain his composure, Ash shrugged lightly. "Keeps people guessing." He replied, sliding the smaller of his bags off his arm and holding it out to Pickman. "I brought you something."

Raising an eyebrow, Pickman took the bag. "A gift? What's the occasion?" He asked, surprised and intrigued.

"No occasion. Just a present from a fellow artist." Ash said easily, surprised at how calm he was managing to act despite his hammering heart.

"Well." Pickman hummed, smiling at Ash. "Thank you then."

Not quite comfortable being thanked, Ash simply gave a nod, moving past Pickman to leave his house. A hand on his elbow made him stop to look at the older man.

"Don't be a stranger, killer. It's nice having a fellow artist around." Pickman said, releasing Ash's arm.

Happy he had a mask to hide his red face, Ash nodded once. "I won't be." He promised, watching Pickman's ass as he walked over to his newest piece. _One day_, Ash promised himself, leaving the room and hopping the railing to make it to the ground floor quicker. He figured he should get all his jumping off of high places out of his system now while his joints were still young enough to heal from such things. Assuming his joints being technically two-hundred-years old still counted as them being young. Leaving Pickman's Gallery, Ash triggered a relay and found himself back in front of the tea party.

Opening the bag, Pickman took out the camera, examining it. He'd spied Ash using one of these while going through his home but wasn't sure what it did. Putting the camera back, Pickman took out the notes and read them. Two pages were directions on how to use the camera and how to develop the film into photographs but the third was a bit more personal. "Sanctuary was only the beginning for me. I've since moved onto bigger and better canvases. If you're interested, push the button on the bracelet I've included. My maids will treat you right, feel free to stay awhile. ~Ash" Raising an eyebrow curiously, Pickman took out the bracelet and decided to give it a whirl once he'd finished his angel.

After taking another minute to appreciate the tea party again, Ash kept moving. That detour had taken some time out of the day for traveling, but Ash was still sure he could make good time. He had a solid six hours before it got dark and then a couple more hours after that before it got too dark to travel safely. Ash had learned that since he was so quiet and fairly small, he could get past large raider and super mutant camps so long as he spotted them in time, but that was less fun than going in gun's blazing so he rarely bothered.

Since he had a destination in mind though, Ash skirted the first super mutant camp he came across. Mutants and ferals weren't as fun to kill as humans anyway. The first, or technically second, raider camp of the trip was too big of a temptation to pass up though and Ash used his shotgun to clear the camp quickly. It was then that something occurred to Ash and he used his Pip-Boy to mark both this camp and the alleyway camp as scavenging points. His field synths would go in, take whatever might be useful for keeping the Institute running, pick up the dead bodies for decorating purposes, and then fuck off before anyone even knew the camps had been cleared. It was nice having a teleporting clean-up crew.

Leaving the camp as the first few flashes of blue arrived, Ash carried on. As he got further from the city, people became few and far between. Ash didn't bother marking individuals or small roving groups he killed for collection as it didn't seem worth it. Only the big camps were worth picking over for supplies and corpses. If an individual that he killed was particularly attractive or if the way they died was particularly lovely, Ash simply took a picture and then left them for the crows.

Eventually night fell and Ash had to make camp. There wasn't alot around and Ash was just getting it into his head that he might have to double back to an abandoned cabin he'd seen a ways away when a light in the distance caught his attention. Creeping up, Ash found a small shack of a house and circled around from the dark to get a feel for how many people were within. It looked like it was only one person. They were outside of the house, smoking a cigarette and didn't look to be of the raider variety.

Knowing he could simply kill them if he had to and finding himself curious, Ash walked up, surprised when the man didn't pull a gun on him or something. "Here to trade, scavver?" The man asked, making Ash realize why he hadn't pulled a gun on him. "I was just closing up the shop for the night, but I can make an exception."

"No." Ash replied, stopping just outside the light coming from the lantern beside the man.

"Need a bed then?" He asked, snuffing out his cigarette butt and picking up his lantern. "Got a room upstairs for rent."

"Sure." Ash said, not entirely sure how such a small shack even had an upstairs but deciding that this was better than backpedaling to the cabin from before.

"Come on in, then. It's thirty caps up front." The man said, going inside and holding the door for Ash. Walking in, Ash handed the man the caps and looked at a ladder leading to a small second floor when he pointed it out. "Bed's up that way." The man said, setting the lantern down on the only table in the shack. "Toilet's out back. Don't bother looking for nothin' to steal, I ain't got shit."

"Noted." Ash said, just a hint of amusement in his voice. The man's brisk attitude was amusing and more than a little refreshing. The man simply grunted and walked over to a part of the shack that was divided by a ratty curtain. Ash saw a bed before the curtain was closed so he figured it was the man's room. Looking at the ladder, Ash shrugged and climbed the rickety thing up to the sketchy "upstairs" bed. It wasn't much more than some animal pelts over straw, but once Ash laid his sleeping bag over it, it was comfy enough. It wasn't any Institute bed, but it would do.

Just as Ash was settling in, there was a light, barely audible _thump_ on the wood beside him and Ash could barely make out a small shadow not far from his face. Sitting up and turning on his Pip-Boy light, Ash found he'd been joined by a cat. Both eyebrows raising in surprise, Ash watched as the cat came over and then started lightly as the small animal climbed onto his lap and got comfortable. That was something else. Relaxing when nothing else happened, Ash uncertainly reached out and touched the cat.

When it started to purr softly, Ash couldn't help but smile. He hadn't got to spend much time around animals before the war both because Nate and Nora had taken precautions to avoid him getting into contact with them and because animals tended to avoid him in general. Something about animals being able to tell when a person wasn't right in the head. He certainly hadn't seen any cats since thawing out, he hadn't even thought about them long enough to assume they'd gone extinct.

Leaning back against the wall since he couldn't very well lie down now, Ash continued to pet the cat. He hadn't really ever thought about what his favorite animal might be. Whenever he'd been asked in his youth he'd defaulted to dogs since Nate and Nora had had one for a time, but he'd never really liked them. Now though, with this small animal curled up on him so content and trusting, Ash decided he liked cats.

Eventually the cat would leave and Ash would get some sleep, but for now, this was fine. For now, Ash was content.


	10. Nuka-World: The Gauntlet

Chapter Specific Characters: Harvey, Porter Gage, Red-Eye, Colter

* * *

Pain. Aches and pain. Rubbing the back of his neck as he ate his breakfast, Ash was starting to rethink his decision to name cats his favorite animal. He'd fallen asleep with the little beast in his lap and had spent the night sleeping sitting up so now his neck and upper back were very cross with him. Speak of the devil, there the little beast was, downstairs with her owner, having her own breakfast. Once the little shit's bowl was empty, she had the nerve to come solicit Ash for the rest of his breakfast and got it because Ash couldn't stay mad at those eyes.

Rubbing her soft little head, Ash smiled. "It was nice to meet you." He said softly, rolling up his sleeping bag and slinging his pack on as he climbed down the ladder. He didn't notice the cat's owner staring at him judgmentally as he left the shack, continuing on his way to Nuka-World. It was easy to oversleep in Sanctum, which is what Ash decided he was going to call the Institute now that it was his home, but out in the wastes, Ash always woke up around seven, not that long after sunrise.

Getting going so early gave him lots of daylight to travel by. The occasional radstag startling him and even rarer wild dog trying to rip his face off were the only things that broke up the calm monotony of the trek to Nuka-World. By noon, Ash could see bottles in the distance and he picked up the pace from leisurely to determined. Coming up on the wrong side of where he needed to be, Ash ended up having to scale a fence in order to get at the entrance of the transit station.

As he dropped down, Ash heard voices. Staying low, he crept forward and saw gunners, one of them standing apart from the group and clearly giving the orders. Drawing his pistol, Ash took aim and wondered idly why it seemed like so few people wore helmets or hats or literally anything that would make them harder to shoot in the head. As Ash did just that, the gunners panicking as their leader dropped dead, he supposed it made his life easier so maybe he shouldn't question it.

Managing to kill another gunner who took just a tad too long to find cover, Ash straightened up from his own cover spot. Getting shot at wasn't a big deal, but Ash hadn't expected the group he'd ambushed to have a fucking assaultron with them. Hissing out a few choice swear words as the assaultron locked onto him and charged, Ash drew his shotgun and started unloading into the dangerous robot. He aimed for the head more than the rest of the robot because he knew what one of those face beams could do. His outfit was somewhat laser proof, but it was far more easily damaged by energy weapons than bullets and those stupid assaultron head-lasers were like the grand mac-daddy of all laser weapons.

Eventually Ash's plan paid off and the assaultron dropped, head destroyed and the rest of it going offline. As their ace fell, the gunners started popping up from their hiding places to shoot at Ash. Instead of trying to play the world's most deadly game of whack-a-mole, Ash ran up to each gunner as he saw them pop up and dispatched them up close. Once the ground was clear, Ash realized he was still getting shot at and looked up to see two more gunners up on the roof of a parking garage.

Sighing, Ash started lighting up and tossing molotovs, refusing to go through all the work of climbing up there to get at the gunners. It ended up working out and soon Ash found himself descending the stairs into the Nuka-World transit station. Sitting in an awfully convenient halo of light was a man. He wasn't dressed like a gunner and appeared to be injured, clutching his stomach and occasionally looking down at his hand like he expected to find blood or something. Even from the stairs Ash could see he wasn't bleeding though.

Keeping his shotgun cocked and ready, Ash walked over, the man's head snapping up to look at him as soon as he realized Ash was there. "Oh, thank god." The man breathed, eyes pleading and voice desperate. "You-you gotta help me. Raiders have my family." He hurried out, the edge of pain never leaving his voice supposedly due to all the injuries Ash couldn't see. "Please."

Frowning behind his mask, Ash couldn't shake the feeling something about this situation was off. "Look, man, I'm not really the good samaritan type." He said, index finger hovering over the trigger of his shotgun.

"I can pay you!" The man shouted, sounding even more desperate as it seemed Ash would reject him. "You bring them back safe, and I'll give you everything I have. Just hear me out." _Oh no_. That sounded like the start to some exposition. "My family and I ran into some traders a while back." _Damn everything._ "They told us they knew a safe settlement- at Nuka-World. But when we got there- found out they were raiders." The man forced out, wasting his breath on a man who could literally not care less. "The whole time! Just stringing us along. I managed to escape, but my wife and son are still back there. I wanted to get some help and go back for them, but didn't count on taking a bullet."

Pausing just as he was about to say something rude, Ash looked down at where the man was clutching his stomach and still periodically looking down at his hand. There was **still** clearly no blood there. "In the stomach?" Ash asked, tilting his head slightly to the side. He finally knew what this situation felt like: a trap. That would explain why Ash felt so on edge.

"Yeah." The man confirmed, cringing and pulling his hand away to take a look at it. He then cried out in actual pain when Ash drew his pistol and shot him in the stomach.

"See all that blood?" Ash asked loudly, holstering his pistol again and watching a red bloom appear on the man's dirty white t-shirt. "**That's** what it looks like when you get shot in the stomach. Even if you heal that shit up with a stim right away, it still bleeds." Crouching down, Ash pressed his knife to the man's throat, interrupting his pained whining now that he'd **actually** been shot. "It's like you weren't even trying. How stupid are the people you usually pull this con on?"

"Wait, wait, I'm sorry." The man said quickly, clutching his stomach for real now. "I-I- the raiders! They make me come down here, lure people in." He hurried out, starting to go pale as blood oozed out from between his fingers. "Oh god, please, I don't wanna die." The man practically sobbed, starting to shiver as he lost feeling in his fingers and toes.

"Mm, sorry, no gods here, just me." Ash said coldly, slitting the man's throat and straightening up. "Idiot." He muttered, jumping lightly as a voice suddenly started coming from the speakers all around the transit station.

"Well, well, that wasn't very nice." The voice drawled, not quite sounding scolding despite the words. "Killin' an innocent man? You're one ruthless son of a bitch, aren't you?" The voice paused briefly before continuing, sounding almost... hopeful? "Tell you what, ol' Harv's got a password on him. Take it, use it to unlock the control terminal, and power up the Nuka-Express. The monorail will take you to Nuka-World. If caps and killin' are your thing, I got the offer of a lifetime for you." The voice paused again and Ash assumed the man on the other side was finished until he added challengingly. "But, only if you think you can handle it."

Competitive spirit ignited just like that, Ash rifled through the dead man's pockets, finding the password easily and looking around for the terminal. He'd deny it until his dying breath, but Ash was a sucker for challenges. Maybe he felt the need to prove himself. That contradicted his almost violent hatred for being praised though. Spotting a terminal behind where the tickets to Nuka-World had once been purchased by those dumb enough to wait until the last minute to buy them, Ash decided analyzing himself could wait. He had a challenge to rise to.

Entering the password into the terminal, Ash powered up the monorail and then boarded, pulling the lever in the front of the train and rocking a bit on his feet as it got moving. Placing his hands on the railing in front of the windows, Ash watched as the darkness of the monorail tunnel was transformed into afternoon sunlight. He squinted lightly until his eyes adjusted and blocked out the automated voice welcoming him to Nuka-World as he surveyed the landscape.

Squinting a bit, Ash leaned forward and then back again when he realized he was really seeing what he thought. A tree with corpses hanging from it like ornaments. As if cued by Ash seeing the tree, the voice over the speakers changed and Ash tuned in more because it surprised him than because he actually cared. "Nice to see you're takin' me up on my offer." The voice said, Ash recognizing it as the one from before.

"I only got a minute, so you better listen and listen good." The voice started, making one of Ash's eyelids twitch lightly. "The name's Gage. Porter Gage. And the truth is that guy you offed was just a set-up to draw you into our little death trap. But if you somehow make it through alive, I'll give you the details on my offer." Gage said, tone wisely not giving away whether or not he believed Ash would make it. "In the meantime, have fun and put on a good show. I'll be watchin'." Oh, it was **on**. If Gage wanted a show, he'd fucking get one.

Cocking his shotgun, Ash exited the monorail as it pulled into the station. "Attention all my favorite undesirables out there!" A new voice from above announced, making Ash sigh lightly. Joy, another fucking speaker man. "In case you haven't noticed, looks like we've got ourselves some fresh meat to run the Gauntlet!" The voice laughed mockingly, the sound distinctly douchey and making Ash bristle. These people didn't know who they were fucking with but they were going to learn.

Some signage told Ash where he should be going so he followed it, literally itching for a fight. "Aaand, he's off!" Speaker Man shouted, Ash realizing just then that he was going to have to listen to that douchey, grating voice for as long as it took him to complete this "Gauntlet". "Let's hope our latest prey can draw a little- _inspiration_ from our previous victims."

Going through the only door he could since the other one was chained up on the other side, Ash found himself in a trashed room full of corpses. All at once the door swung closed behind him and locked with a click. Then Ash heard a collective whir around him as several turrets placed around the room came online and locked onto him. Sneering, Ash easily weathered a barrage of bullets and, slightly less easily, lasers as he walked through the room, blowing the turrets up with his shotgun. He was gonna have so many bruises and burns to deal with later for that, but none of the bullets got through his clothes' bullet-proof lining so it wasn't anything a quick stimpak didn't start taking care of. Reaching the door on the other side quickly, Ash pressed on.

"Looks like our new vic doesn't mind taking a few bullets." Douche said, sounding unimpressed and then mischievous. "Good thing that's not all we got in store for him." The next room was littered with tripwire traps which Ash only realized after narrowly avoiding a flamethrower trap. Noticing an alcove off to the side, Ash went over to investigate and found another door. Rattling it, he found it was locked but not chained. Smirking, Ash crouched down and picked the lock in less than a minute, opening the door and finding that he'd unlocked a shortcut past the traps.

"So our little vic managed to pick **one** tiny, little lock. Let's see how long the Gauntlet lets him enjoy that one." Ooh, that was the **wrong** adjective to use to describe Ash. Practically storming up the stairs, Ash found the next section of the Gauntlet blocked by a rickety walkway. Finding that the boards seemed strong enough to support his weight, Ash hurried along the walkway, trying very hard not to dwell on the fact that it was good that he was so light. So _little_.

The next section had more tripwire traps that, with no way to skip them, Ash avoided, stepping over the tripwires. Ash then came out into a room with three doors that had question marks and severed heads adorning them. "It's decision time!" Douche announced, hammering a fresh nail into his coffin every time he opened his mouth. "All doors lead to death. Some just a little slower than others."

Rolling his eyes, Ash walked over to the door on the far right and opened it up, swearing and running several feet back when a bunch of grenades dropped from the ceiling, their pins getting pulled by the fall. They blew up harmlessly and Ash grit his teeth, going for the next door. That one had one of those stupid tambourine monkeys in it and before Ash could use his pistol to blow it's head off, Douche spoke up. "I think that monkey's playing your death march, vic."

Laughing lightly at how badly he wanted to stab this motherfucker in the throat, Ash shot the monkey and moved to the last door. When nothing unexpected happened, Ash pressed on. He started down a ramp but back-peddled quickly as he spotted some barrels of radioactive material. Sighing, Ash took off his bag and changed into his hazmat suit, having bulletproofed it after the Mass Fusion incident.

"Hope someone brought their Rad-Away cuz our little vic is about to get roasted like a squirrel on a stick." Douche piped up, making Ash scoff. He didn't need Rad-Away, that's what the suit was for. The dumbass had probably never seen a fucking hazmat suit before. They weren't exactly common. Making his way to the door that would presumably take him away from the rads, Ash found it locked. Crouching down, Ash picked the lock easily and took off his pack again once he was away from the rad room.

Changing back into his coat and hat, Ash pressed on. "Someone thinks he's a real tough guy!" Douche yelled, sounding mock impressed. "But the Gauntlet ain't through with you yet." Mocking Douche silently, Ash picked his way down some surprisingly stable rubble and went through a door, finding himself now in an underground complex. Luckily it was a large complex; Ash wasn't sure how his claustrophobia would appreciate being in a small underground space.

Noticing a terminal nearby, Ash walked over and hacked it quickly, finding a turret control option. Clicking it only gave Ash the option to activate whatever turrets it controlled so he left it, moving into the next room where he found said turrets. They were currently dormant but sitting perched and ready to activate them was another fucking tambourine monkey. Crouching slowly, Ash took aim with his pistol, sniping the monkey from the stairs and jumping as Douche piped up the moment the monkey was headless.

"Aw, what!? Call me crazy, but I think our vic's got something against fun." He said, making Ash laugh softly. He was going to take his sweet fucking time with this asshole. Ash'd never tortured anyone before, but he was thinking maybe it was time to expand his horizons. Straightening up, Ash moved quickly out of the room with the turrets, having to pick another lock in order to get to the next section of the Gauntlet.

A maze. Sighing, Ash chose left and started walking, stopping with his foot hovering over a scale. Moving his foot further, Ash stepped over the scale and carried on, trying not to slip in the oil under his feet. As he rounded the corner, an animatronic alien started shooting at Ash. Luckily it had shitty aim and Ash didn't. Coming to an intersection, Ash chose left again since it led to an elevated area.

It was too dark for Ash to see far enough into the room to discern anything helpful even from higher up, so Ash just moved on. He was about to choose right at the next intersection when he saw the barrels of radioactive material and changed his mind, going left again. After a bit more walking, Ash realized he'd made it through the maze and let out a sigh that quickly became a groan as Douche spoke up again.

"Time for things to get dangerous!" He announced, apparently thinking he could psych Ash out by downplaying the danger he'd already went through. "Let's see if he survives what's next." Odds good so far, Ash felt confident, moving up to the doorway and spotting the turret chugging away in the hall before it locked onto him. It blew up and Ash entered the hall, seeing that the locked door there didn't lead to a shortcut and so ignoring it.

Exiting out into the next part of the Gauntlet, Ash found himself in more tunnels, these ones big enough that they had large trucks in them. As Ash passed the second archway he could've chosen to go through, the one that he might've gone through had he not wanted as big of a jump as possible on whatever was outside, he heard beeping and sprinted to the far wall, a mine going off near the hall.

A minefield. A motherfucking minefield! Sighing, Ash popped a Buffout pill into his mouth and waited a minute before he took off sprinting down this section. He heard alot of beeping behind and all around him but managed to make it past the mines without getting blown up thanks to the speed boost the Buffout gave him. What was past the mines wasn't any more fun though. A tiny walkway made of rickety looking planks greeted Ash. Below the planks, he could see water and mirelurk eggs.

No. No fucking thank you. Taking a deep breath, Ash tilted his hat back and put his arms out. Keeping his eyes on the planks, Ash moved quickly but surely and managed to make it to the door on the other side. Locked. Rolling his eyes, Ash picked the lock and pushed the door open. As soon as it swung open, Douche came on, sputtering indignantly for a bit before actually speaking.

"What the hell!? God damn, Derek! That door was supposed to be boarded up!" _Wow_. Fucking raiders. Shaking his head, Ash found himself facing a door with some arrows pointing to it. Pushing the door open, Ash heard several snaps and dove out of the way, covering the back of his head as several grenades went off in the room he was supposed to be in. Glancing over his shoulder once the explosions ended, Ash saw the room was now on fire, having apparently had oil on the floor like so many of the other rooms in the Gauntlet.

Sighing, Ash sat up, deciding now would be a good time to get some food in his stomach while he waited for the fire to die down. "Now's not the time for a picnic, vic!" Douche said, sounding dramatically annoyed. "You still have lots of dying to do!" Rolling his eyes, Ash finished his lunch and moved on. Further up the hall, Ash found more bathroom scales, more oil, and more grenades on strings. Deciding he didn't have time for this shit and still having a boost from the Buffout he'd taken earlier, Ash sprinted down the remaining hall, diving into the next room and hearing the door click locked behind him just in time to shield him from the blast his recklessness would've caused.

"Someone thinks they're clever." Douche piped up, sounding just as mocking as ever. "Time for a little reality check. Let's see if our vic can kill the gas before the gas kills him." Gas? Ash supposed the air in the room did look a bit wavy. Realizing he must not have noticed it due to his mask, Ash grinned. Suck on that, sluts.

Switching to his knife just in case the gas was flammable, Ash started looking for the way out. He moved straight down the hall, but found the exit blocked by a door that could only be opened via terminal. Doubling back, Ash began to look for the terminal. The only promising room was behind a locked door. Doing his thing, Ash got in only to be greeted by a swarm of radroaches. Resisting the urge to use a molotov cocktail on them, Ash simply started swinging, taking the nasty bugs out easily if messily.

Shuddering lightly, Ash kicked some of the carcasses aside and hacked into the terminal he found. Hitting the command to open the door, Ash exited the room, not even bothering with the gas. The next door led Ash outside and he looked around warily, not trusting the seemingly safe rest point. When Ash noticed some giant fucking ants moving about the room, he realized his mistrustful instincts had been right yet again.

"That's right, vic! Breathe that fresh air in." Douche said, taking in a loud, dramatic breath before his voice dropped to a surprisingly dark tone. "While you can." Oh no! No, no, nu-uh! Douche was **not** allowed to become interesting after what must've been at least two hours of bullshit! Ash forbade it!

Satisfying his urge to burn now that he was out in the open, Ash molotoved the ants and kept going, more determined than ever to reach the end so he could find Douche and fuck his skull with his knife. "God damn! Look who's in the home stretch!" Douche shouted, actually sounding impressed as Ash walked into the next part of the Gauntlet. "Time for a little audience participation."

As if cued by Douche, people started running across the roof over Ash's head, shooting down at him through the makeshift chainlink ceiling. Undaunted thanks to his bulletproofing, Ash fired back, using his shotgun to get in a few kills before they could run by. While he shot up and his audience shot down, Ash kept moving, going past some more strung up grenades and taking out a turret. The audience stopped participating around the time Ash reached the door to the next section and Ash went through it, finding himself greeted by a flashing light and a blaring alarm.

"Well I'll be damned! You know what that sound means! Get your ass down to Cola-Cars, the main event's about to begin!" Douche shouted excitedly, making Ash realize he really **was** in the home stretch. Walking up some stairs, Ash found himself blocked by another door he couldn't open and glanced around, spotting two men down in what was to be his arena. One was in a suit of power armor and the other was working diligently on it.

"You got me wired up yet, Gage?" The one in power armor asked, his accent making Ash tilt his head. English? Maybe Australian? There were people with those accents left? Ash hadn't heard one yet since thawing out, this tin-man being the first.

"Yeah, boss." Gage replied, putting his screwdriver away and giving Ash his first glimpse of the face behind the voice that'd put him up to this.

"Finally. Now go shut off that damn alarm." Tin-Man ordered, making Ash hum. Whatever his accent was, Ash liked it. Snapping his fingers, Ash slung his pack off and started fishing around.

"Alright, I'm on it." Gage responded, jogging off to a glass-enclosed room just off the arena. Finding what he was looking for, Ash stuck a holotape into his Pip-Boy and hit record just in time. A voice **that** pretty deserved to be remembered.

Grunting loudly enough for Ash to hear from where he was, Tin-Man started talking again. "Now where-?" He turned and spotted Ash watching him from where his path had been blocked, letting out a sigh that clearly held a smile in it. "Ah, there's my next victim now." Tin-Man said, laughing mockingly. "Don't look like much." Ash was going to enjoy listening to such a nice voice making assorted sounds of agony while he killed its owner.

"Here's a quick run-down of how this works. You go stock up, make yourself presentable, and then we're gonna give these folks a show." Tin-Man called up, Ash leaning forward against the railing in front of him while he listened. Actually listened for once. The things a pretty voice could do, apparently. "A show where I decorate these walls here with your lovely brains." Feeling a certain part of himself react to that more than he was perhaps happy with, Ash realized what an absolute tragedy it was that he was going to have to kill Tin-Man so quickly; he was definitely Ash's type.

"Thanks to this suit, I'm the only one that wins this fight. Period." Tin-Man spat, getting further in a monologue than anyone else while still managing to hold Ash's attention. He'd have phased just about anyone else out by now. "Think you're hot shit gettin' this far?" He asked, letting out a little huff of a laugh. "Think again." Turning his attention away from a very revved-up Ash, Tin-Man looked to the glass box. "Alright, Gage, let him through." He then turned his attention back to Ash, who was straightening up. "Somethin' tells me I'm really gonna enjoy this."

Then the door next to Ash opened and, without Tin-Man's voice keeping his attention, Ash suddenly noticed the thrum of the crowd that had gathered to watch the show. Walking through the now-open door, Ash went down a ramp and was assaulted by Douche's grating fucking voice. "It's almost time! After a run like that, this ought to be the best slaughter yet!" He called over the intercom, sounding quite excited for what he assumed was Ash's inevitable doom. "Remember, longest survival time against Colter still stands at one minute, thirty-seven seconds!" _Seriously?_ What kind of losers usually made it through that fucking death trap?

Shaking his head, Ash brushed it off and walked past some old bumper cars and through a door. Douche piped up on the speakers some more but Ash did his best to block him out, trying not to get into the kind of mood where he wouldn't enjoy killing Tin-Man, Colter, apparently, as much as he wanted to. As soon as Ash crossed the threshold into the room, the _beautifully decorated_ room, he was supposed to "make himself presentable" in, Gage started speaking through an intercom a ways in front of Ash.

"Alright, listen the hell up if you want to make it out of this alive." He barked, making Ash frown. "I've only got a minute. Find the intercom on the wall. I'll make it quick."

Sighing, Ash walked over to the intercom, pressing the button. "What?" He hissed, releasing the button and waiting.

"Good. You made it this far, you obviously got skill, but this fight comin' up is rigged, you get me?" Gage asked, not waiting for a response and instead carrying on. "Overboss Colter- his power armor's set up to draw energy from the electric grid in the arena. Damn thing's invincible. You name it, someone's tried it. Miniguns, grenades, not a scratch. You get what I'm sayin'?"

"I thought you only had a minute." Ash said, clearly the only one in an actual hurry here. "So maybe get on with it."

"You wanna win? I stashed a weapon in the lockers. Get it." Gage said, either not minding Ash's attitude or not having time to comment on it.

Grumbling to himself, Ash looked around the lockers a bit before finding the only weapon he couldn't imagine someone using on Colter. Well, not seriously, anyway. Walking back over to the intercom, Ash pressed the button. "The squirt gun?" He asked, sure he'd found the wrong weapon.

"Yeah, yeah, I know what it looks like." Gage said, his exhausted tone giving Ash the impression that he'd had this conversation before. "You're just gonna have to trust me."

"I don't." Ash said, sighing lightly. "But I guess the worst that can happen is I die, so, I'll use the stupid squirt gun."

"I'll take it." Gage said, suddenly sounding hurried. "Once the water hits Colter's electrically-charged power armor, the circuits are gonna short out. It'll kill his defenses, but you'll only have so much time to do some damage before they recharge. You take him out, I promise you it'll be worth every minute spent in the Gauntlet."

"Whatever." Ash muttered, releasing the button again and checking the room for any other goodies he might want to take to his grave.

"Alright, it's time. I'll open the door." Gage said, sounding somewhat relieved. "See you on the other side." He added more quietly, the security door across the room swinging open a moment later.

Walking through, Ash felt his mood instantly lift as Colter started talking. "Alright!" He yelled, facing the crowd and apparently looking to get some hype going. "Disciples! Are you ready for blood?" If the cheers and chants of "death" from the stands were any indication, the answer was yes. "And the Pack! Are you ready for things to get wild?" More cheers and now some howls and other animalistic noises indicating another yes. "Operators! Are you ready to see me notch another kill?" Ash decided he didn't like whichever ones the Operators were as they barely applauded. Party poopers.

"And you!" Colter said, turning to Ash who'd just emptied a syringe of Psycho into his wrist. "Are you ready to die?" Then the door opened and Ash drew his new weapon, in fact quite ready to die. "Let's do this!" Colter yelled, opening fire on Ash the moment the door opened enough to allow it.

Running straight into Colter's fire with exactly no self-preservation instincts, Ash began squirting the armor-clad man. When he faltered in his firing and began to convulse, Ash drew his shotgun, thinking that perhaps he stood a chance after all. Once Colter's suit stopped glowing, he was able to move again and he started to back away from Ash, starting to ask what was going on as Ash started firing his shotgun. The suit wasn't as sturdy as it looked now that it wasn't charged and Ash's powerful gun ripped though the metal surprisingly easily. Ash never even had to squirt Colter a second time as he ripped through the power armor and downed the larger man, getting resounding 'boos' from the audience. _Rude_.

"Holy shit!" Douche shouted, having apparently been all set up to comment on the match before it ended rather abruptly. "I-I don't- I don't even know what to say! Colter, man, he's out! Gage, what the hell just happened?"

"You saw it. We all saw it!" Gage said, taking over the speakers. "Colter's dead. We've got ourselves a new Overboss."

"This guy? Are you sure, Gage?" Someone shouted from the stands, making Ash sigh. It was the Institute all over again.

"You better know what the hell you're doing." Another someone yelled, Ash rolling his eyes. Why wasn't murdering someone in front of people ever good enough? It seemed like the kind of thing that should be good enough.

"Hey, we talked about this!" Gage yelled, undaunted by the uncertainty in the crowd. "He survived the Gauntlet. He was smart enough to take my advice and strong enough to kill Colter. He's what we need." Ash was almost touched. Gage knew even less about him than Shaun had and yet here he was, defending him. "So how about we show some respect for our new leader?"

The crowd began to cheer hesitantly, but over it Ash heard another voice loudly declare something. "He'll get respect when he **earns** respect."

"Amen." Another voice said, Ash's palm starting to itch.

The cheering died and Gage spoke up again. "Alright, alright, now get the hell outta here." He ordered, the crowd listening and beginning to disperse. "What'd I tell ya?" Gage asked, looking at Ash through the glass and grinning. "Worked like a charm."

"Sure did." Ash muttered, still not quite over the fact that he wasn't dead after using a squirt gun in a serious combat situation.

"Look, I get that you have no idea what's goin' on and everythin' is comin' at ya real fast, but you need to listen." Gage said, apparently able to tell that Ash was still processing everything. "Takin' out Colter wasn't just a last minute decision, it was somethin' a few of us here have been working on for awhile. Now that he's actually gone, we've got ourselves a vacancy in the Overboss department." He informed, definitely not as gifted as Colter as Ash struggled to keep his mind from wandering as he spoke. "And guess what? You just got the job. All I'm askin' is that you trust me on this and give it a shot. I swear it'll be worth it."

Having definitely not needed that entire fucking sales pitch to be sold on the idea of leading a bunch of raiders, which sounded fun as hell, Ash gave a shrug. "Still don't trust you, but I'm interested." Ash found himself idly looking around the arena as Gage began to speak again and he suddenly realized his Pip-Boy was still recording. Removing the holotape, Ash pocketed it and then tuned back in to whatever Gage was saying, hoping that it didn't show that he hadn't been paying much attention. It wasn't that he cared if Gage cared, he just didn't want the man to repeat himself.

"-bloodbath on our hands. I think you have what it takes to turn things around and keep these gangs from tearin' eachother apart." Gage said, seeming to not have noticed that Ash hadn't been paying attention to most of what he was saying.

Stifling a laugh, Ash gave a shrug. "Alright, I'll do it." He said, even knowing that he was very bad at not-violence and that Gage's trust was likely horribly misplaced.

"That's the spirit." Gage said, sounding almost relieved. "Now, I'm sure you got alot of questions, but this ain't the place. Meet me at the Overboss'- **your** new quarters, the restaurant on top of good ol' Fizztop Mountain. We can talk there." He said, moving over from the window to the terminal he was standing beside. "Let me just get that door for you."

Humming a jaunty Korn tune, Ash waited for the door to swing open. When it did, he walked through, striding past Gage and walking out excitedly into Nuka-Town. If the Gauntlet was any indication he was going to like the way these raiders had decor- oh. Frowning, Ash looked around at the disappointing sight that greeted him. Even in the dark, Ash could tell it looked almost the same as it used to, just alot dirtier.

Sighing, Ash picked a direction and started walking. He wasn't exactly sure where Fizztop was, but he was sure he could find it. Despite these raiders clearly lacking any artistic flair, Ash was still curious about what leading them would be like, curious enough that he hadn't even started to seriously consider double-crossing Gage yet. After a bit of walking, Ash realized Nuka-Town had been somewhat decorated with the corpses on poles that he'd expected, but it still wasn't nearly as tasteful as it could be.

Ash was sure being the new Overboss of Nuka-World would mean he wouldn't have much free time for redecorating, but damn it all to hell if he wasn't going to try and make the time. Finding Fizztop Mountain fairly easily, Ash walked around a large, gross pond and found two options waiting for him. Pressing a button to call down the rickety-looking lift rather than try for the doors not far away, Ash boarded the lift, his sincere inability to fear death making him lean over the railing as the pulleys worked.

It wasn't a bad view. Ash could imagine entrails like banners coming down from the metal beams above and the rank water of the pond being replaced with blood. It would be beautiful once he was done with it all, countless Commonwealth lives would assure it.


	11. Nuka-World: Meeting the Gangs

Chapter Specific Characters: Porter Gage, Nisha, Mags Black, William Black, Mason, H1-87, Pickman

Chapter Specific Tags/Warnings: Non explicit sex

Okay! So, Ash has sex in this chapter. He turned 18 in The Institute Part 3 so he's technically legal.

However! Because anyone younger than 20 seems like a kid to my 23-year-old ass, the scene is not, I repeat NOT, explicit. It's a "yes, they did it, move on" sort of scenario. Ash will never get explicit nookie in this story until it's stated within the story that he's turned 20 and even then, only if the situation arises naturally.

Regardless! If the fact that an 18-year-old has sex with someone considerably older than them in this chapter makes you uncomfortable regardless of how not-explicit it is, feel free to opt-out. I wouldn't blame you.

* * *

Spinning around as the lift stopped, Ash stepped into his new quarters. Boring and unimaginative just like the rest of Nuka-Town. Unimpressed, Ash walked up to Gage who'd clearly cheated to get there first, the bastard.

"Welcome home, boss." Gage greeted, watching Ash look around the room. "The digs are yours now, hope you like the look. Colter had some _peculiar_ tastes. But this view is somethin', huh?" Not waiting for Ash to respond, Gage kept going, gesturing with his hand. "Everythin' you see here is under your control now that you're in charge."

Smirking a bit, Ash found that he liked the idea of being in charge of a bunch of raiders considerably more than he'd liked the idea of being in charge of the Institute. "Let's get to work then." He said, actually a little excited to be on this new adventure.

"Now that, right there, is just the kind of attitude I was hopin' for." Gage said enthusiastically, clearly pleased by Ash's readiness to get some fucking work done. "Look, I'll be honest with you: this operation needs someone to step in and take the reins. Sure as hell ain't gonna be me." Gage muttered, shaking his head a bit. "Leadin' outright ain't my style and there's already some blamin' me for supportin' Colter all this time. My talents are best put to use helpin' a new Overboss get all this shit under control. You get me?"

Shrugging, Ash idly wondered what about himself made people so fucking talkative. Was it his face? His posture? His general aura? "Sure, whatever." He mumbled, really not caring how Gage liked to do things. Ash wasn't about to let himself be manipulated, but he supposed having an experienced right-hand around wouldn't be such a bad thing. Like hell he was gonna let Gage know that, though.

"Good enough." Gage sighed, moving on. "I know I'm throwin' alot at you all at once here, so let's take a step back and talk big picture, okay?" _Please, no. For the love of fuck, no_. "Nuka-World- shit, this was the dream. Huge, built like a goddamn fortress. You run this, the world is yours." That's about the part where Ash zoned out, trying to look attentive but very much not paying attention. It wasn't until Gage mentioned Mr. Sexy Accent that Ash tuned back in. "-Colter got lazy. He was content to sit on his ass, never bothered puttin' in the effort to finish takin' over the park." Gage said, frowning and clearly annoyed. "The gangs got restless and started pissin' eachother off. It was- **is** a real mess."

"Sounds like Colter was kind of a bitch." Ash responded flippantly, glancing around the room before finding a patch of counter that he then cleared with a sweep of his arm, knocking over empty bottles of both booze and Nuka-Cola. He hopped up and sat down, getting a box of snack cakes out of his bag and opening them up to chow down. He'd been on his fucking feet all day and if Gage was going to insist on taking another millennia to talk his ear off, Ash was at least gonna be comfy for the affair.

Slightly annoyed by the clatter Ash caused but hiding it well, Gage nodded a bit. "He was. I thought he had what it took, so I helped arrange this whole deal. Didn't work out. But now that you're here, we've got a second shot." He said, really putting far too much trust in a random dude he'd just met. "Look, I know these gangs. Been workin' with 'em or against 'em for years now. I'll help you, okay? Walk you through everythin'." There was a certain tone to Gage's voice when he offered his help that made Ash bristle but he tried to calm himself. There was no way Gage could tell his age behind the mask and hat, he probably hadn't meant to sound so- coddling, just gentle, probably having not wanted to offend Ash by offering his help.

"First thing you gotta do is get the gangs behind you." Gage continued, having no way of knowing the dangerous nerve he'd just struck. "Without them supportin' you, you're not gettin' **shit** done." He held up a hand briefly, as if to preempt something he thought Ash might say. "You don't have to trust 'em. Hell, you don't even have to like 'em. But you need 'em to respect you enough to follow you."

"Fear and respect are pretty much the same thing." Ash said, the snack cakes currently filling his mouth decidedly making him sound less intimidating than he would've liked. "And I can do fear, so I think I'll do fine."

Giving Ash an unimpressed look, Gage scoffed a bit. "Okay, settle down. Most of these fuckers have seen shit that'd scare your nightmares." He said, really having no idea who he was talking to. "They're not gonna be that easy to intimidate." Sighing lightly, Gage decided to try it a different way. "Look, technically you're already the new Overboss, right? That's like **half** the work done right there. Just- meet the leaders. Talk with 'em, flex your muscles a little, show 'em you mean business." He said, clearly meaning Ash's metaphorical muscles since his physical ones weren't that impressive.

"Yeah, alright." Ash sighed, chasing his cakes down with a can of water. "I can do that."

"Alright! That's what I'm talkin' about." Gage said excitedly, pleased at having gotten through to Ash. "You just need to show 'em you're the right man for the job." He said, smile faltering a bit under some uncertainty. "I'll be here if you need me. **You're** the Overboss, after all. Just- don't screw this up."

Gage was gonna let Ash do this on his own? Alone? By himself? That was new. Surprised by how good it felt to be trusted to do something on his own, Ash left Fizztop. He **had** planned to catch some sleep and start working in the morning, but now he felt almost obligated to go talk to the gangs as soon as possible. Maybe he really **did** feel the need to prove himself. Shrugging it off, Ash went for the closest group.

As he neared the Disciples' headquarters, Ash realized this group might be his favorite. He hadn't met with the other ones yet, but the liberal use of blood and severed heads as decor was definitely winning them points. Ash walked up to the entrance and paused as the woman guarding the door spoke up.

"Watch yourself, _boss_, because we sure will be." She said, giving Ash the impression that she was glaring at him despite the mask covering her face.

Deciding it best not to respond beyond a cutting side-glare, Ash walked inside, the smell hitting him before his eyes actually adjusted to the dim interior. The guard's words were all but forgotten instantly as he got his first look at the Disciples' headquarters. This was clearly his group. This group had **taste**. Walking a few steps forward, Ash overheard the conversation going on a little ways in front of him, the strong southern twang of the speaker being what caught his attention.

"Come on, girl, you know we should run this place, not some little greenie Gage dragged in." The southern one said loudly, making Ash sigh. They had taste, but they were still clearly a bunch of dicks.

"We're giving him a second chance. Gage screws this up, he knows we'll skin him alive." The one who was likely the leader responded, making Ash feel conflicted since he liked her style, but her voice was one of the ones he'd heard questioning him when he was in the arena. "So shut up and be patient."

"What about you, big guy? Nothin' to say on the matter?" The southern one said, turning to a broody type hanging off to the side.

"As long as he doesn't get in my way, don't much care." The broody one said, so far making the least impression on Ash.

"Yeah, figured as much." The southern one sighed, seeming just a bit disappointed that she wasn't getting any back-up.

"Both of you just get out of here. And make sure the others get the message." The leader snapped, looking up as Ash took that as his cue to approach. "So, you're Gage's little pet project." She greeted, the way she said it indicating that it was clearly not a question.

Sighing, Ash decided to go for his usual "fuck consequences" route of doing things. "Reel it in, bitch, I've stabbed people for less." He grumbled, accentuating his point by resting his hand on the hilt of his knife.

Having the nerve to laugh, the leader actually sounded impressed. "Well, at least you've got a backbone." She said, amused tone leaving her voice instantly. "Everyone knows we all wanted Colter dead. 'Course if I had my way, it would have been a slow, painful process." The leader said, sounding practically wistful and making Ash rethink his sexuality. Apparently he was bi. He'd always thought he was gay. Who knew?

"But whatever. Let's get this meet and greet over with. I'm Nisha. I lead the Disciples. We've only got one rule around here, and that's keeping the peace of this- alliance." She said the last word like it left a bad taste in her mouth. "Otherwise, the way we see it, this world stopped caring about rules the moment people started dropping bombs on one another."

Okay. The Disciples weren't perfect. Ash strongly suspected none of these groups would be able to achieve his ridiculously low standards of simply keeping their snippy comments to themselves. **However**, Nisha was speaking his language, and it was becoming increasingly difficult to hold a grudge for earlier indiscretions. "Living free is what I'm all about. Rules just hold us back." Ash agreed, not liking the decidedly not-tough way his voice came out. Why did he always get like this around attractive people? Did this happen to normal people too or was it because he wasn't used to these feelings?

"That's what I was trying to tell Colter all along. Maybe if he listened, he'd still be around." Nisha said, sounding pleased at Ash's answer but then giving a light sigh. "Although, I could give him a little credit. He built the Gauntlet, after all. Of course, it was total shit at first; no imagination. But we spiced it up a bit."

Of course the Disciples were responsible for the Gauntlet. As annoying as it'd been to go through it, it was a very impressive death-trap and the artist in Ash couldn't help but admire it. "How many people have died in there?" He asked, finding himself full of unusual curiosity. Normally he couldn't wait for interactions to end, but this was a conversation that felt worth having with a woman who felt worth having it with.

"Who's counting?" Nisha responded, shrugging a bit. "It's at least enough to keep the traders busy. We like to send them in to clean out the bodies when things get ripe in there. They don't always make it out alive, of course. The Gauntlet never sleeps." Nisha's tone was light and amused and Ash was happy he was wearing a mask because he was definitely starting to flush.

"I see." He said quietly, having to clear his throat a bit and silently cursing himself for being so easily wooed. "Well, I happen to be a fan of intricate death traps, and the Gauntlet is definitely the most impressive I've seen so far." Ash said, his voice coming out much closer to the strong tone he wanted. It still had undertones of embarrassing, annoying emotions like admiration and something frustratingly close to pining, but Ash would take what he could get.

"Good to see the new boss at least has some taste. I might let you keep that head on your shoulders after all." The seriousness in Nisha's tone would've normally made Ash bristle. It was a very thinly veiled threat, after all, and he had _actually_ stabbed people for far less than thinly veiled threats. But, thanks to his damnable hormones, Ash had to work hard to suppress a giggle, not really having time to wonder what exactly was wrong with himself.

"Let's just hope Gage is right about you. He made alot of promises to get us here, and never followed through." Nisha said, sounding annoyed before her voice dropped a bit and an edge entered it. "So you better not screw this up because I'm not about to tolerate another round of bullshit."

Ah, the things a rapidly growing crush could make you overlook. "Sounds like Gage dug himself a nice, deep hole for me to get him out of." Ash said, at least managing to sound annoyed.

Humming in a "no shit" kind of way, Nisha kept talking, her voice lacking any threat now and sounding instead like she was stating a simple fact. "And I hope you're ready to get your hands dirty digging because the Disciples don't make empty threats, we make good on them. We aren't swayed by caps like those spoiled brats obsessed with their hair, or those savage animals who can't behave in public." She practically snarled, her distaste for the other gangs clear. "Fuck this up, and I will kill you. Although, I admit I have even better plans for Gage." Nisha said, her tone making Ash flush worse and shift a bit. If Nisha noticed, she didn't deem it worth a reaction. "But, if you support us and keep your promises like a good little Overboss, we back you, you get to live, and everybody wins."

Literally anyone else would've been so stabbed by this point. So, so very stabbed. "Sounds like we have a deal then." Ash said, completely giving up on trying to act tough or angry and simply giving in to acting like a pliant idiot.

"Good. You're either smart or you value your life. Either way, that's exactly what I wanted to hear." Nisha said, indeed sounding pleased. "Now, if you're really looking to get on my good side, there's no shortage of work around here. If you're looking to prove you've got what it takes, you know where to find me." And then she walked off, leaving Ash with his mild-to-moderate crisis.

It was one thing to have a huge, stupid crush on Pickman. Pickman was a gem and had never sassed him. Nisha on the other hand had threatened him, questioned his abilities, threatened him, sassed him, and then threatened him again for good measure. Ash didn't know when exactly his internal compass had started pointing so strongly to murder-happy people that he had gained the ability to overlook so much bullshit, that had come all in one go, no less, but apparently this was his life now and he was just going to have to deal.

Leaving the Disciples' headquarters, Ash walked past the gross pond and eventually found himself in Operators territory. Oh joy, the party poopers. Sighing, Ash walked over to the entrance and paused when the man guarding the door spoke to him. Apparently this was going to be a thing every time.

"You can head on in, Overboss. Mags usually has us frisk visitors, but you get special treatment." Oh. How comparatively pleasant. Heading inside, Ash could tell right away he was being discussed again.

"Sorry, Mags. All anyone's turned up so far is that he's got that Pip-Boy on his arm." Someone said, Ash taking it slow so he could eavesdrop.

"So our new Overboss is a vault dweller." A woman, Mags, presumably, replied, her voice giving her away as the "respect" person in the crowd.

"Or _iced_ a vault dweller." A different voice said, this one belonging to the one who'd agreed with her.

Rounding the corner into the room where the voices were coming from, Ash heard Mags hum and she noticed him, looking to her lackey. "You can go." She said more quietly, looking at Ash as he stopped in front of her. "Well. I suppose we all owe you for putting down Colter." Mags greeted, offering Ash a polite smile which surprised him a bit.

"Man was an idiot. Made us all look bad." Her companion chimed in, straightening up from the table he'd been leaning on.

Chuckling lightly, Mags looked to her companion. "A clown stuck in his own little car." She said spitefully, turning her attention back to Ash and her tone returning to something close enough to neutral. "I guess we can take some solace in the fact that someone finally gave him what he deserved." Mags said, voice dropping and eyes suddenly going quite dark. "I want to know: what did you feel as you did it? When you brought that walking pile of human garbage to his knees." She asked softly, making Ash's eyes widen a bit under his hat.

_Oh no_. Not another one! Ash couldn't handle another one! He wasn't supposed to like these ones! They were party poopers! Collecting himself before answering, Ash tried for dark and actually ended up succeeding, his frustration translating well enough into the darkness he was going for. "A rush. Nothing beats murder." He answered easily, dying a little inside when both Mags and her companion looked impressed. Damn everything to hell and back.

Humming after her and her companion shared a look, Mags now looked like she was sizing Ash up. "Perhaps you're better suited to this than I expected." She said softly, giving a light sigh as she continued. "Regardless, Gage's decree means that you're the new Overboss. I suppose we can only hope you work out better than the last one." Mags said, voice not giving away whether or not she thought he would. She was definitely smart. Polite too, damn her. "I'm Mags. This is my brother, William."

"Pleasure." William said, giving Ash a nod. Damn. Apparently being polite ran in the family. How was Ash supposed to hate people who were so polite even if they were party poopers? They were actually holding up to his one standard.

"Along with our co-conspirator, Lizzie, we run this crew. Call ourselves the Operators. You'll come to understand soon enough that we are the only gang you should be backing around here." Mags said, rather boldly, having no way of knowing that Ash currently had the hots for at least one of the other gang leaders and had exactly no intentions of leaving her out of getting a cut of the spoils. "Because we're the only ones who see this place for what it is: a temple. A testament to the only thing that matters in this world."

Ash was waiting surprisingly patiently for Mags to carry on when he realized she was expecting him to take a guess as to what that was. "Greed?" He guessed, figuring she wouldn't know what capitalism was and that greed was a good substitute since they were really one in the same. One was a concept and one was an economic system, but they were the same thing in spirit.

"Close enough." Mags said, sounding mildly amused. "Caps. This place was built for the sole purpose of taking caps out of the pockets of fools. We only joined Gage and Colter's little menagerie in order to restore it to that goal." She paused, a smile playing her lips. "Though, by somewhat more cutthroat methods than I expect its founder intended."

"Instead Colter had us sitting on our asses for the better part of a year while he lived large in his damn mountaintop." William cut in, clearly not quite over it.

"And that means if you're going to be in charge around here, we'd like some assurances that you intend to bring this place back to its true purpose and that we're going to get back to robbing folks of their fucking money." Mags said, surprising Ash a bit as she swore. She was such a posh lady that the word actually sounded almost vulgar coming from her. Ash didn't mind, of course, he was a vulgar fucking bitch himself, but it had still surprised him a bit.

"Sounds good to me." Ash said, not particularly caring how the Operators chose to spend their time. If they wanted to rob people, that was their business.

"Well, it's about damn time." William said, sounding pleased.

Mags for her part let out a pleased little hum. "I look forward to seeing your claims put into action." She said, effortlessly choosing her words carefully so that her point of "I'll believe it when I see it" got across without ruffling Ash's feathers. "So, you're welcome in the Parlor whenever you like. Make yourself at home. And if you think you might be interested in running some jobs for us, you just come speak to me." Mags said, tilting her head slightly and smiling that small, polite smile. "And we'll all be anxiously awaiting getting this place back to doing what it does best."

After receiving a nod from Ash, Mags and William departed, both of them returning to their gang. Feeling pretty good about that interaction, Ash also departed, making his way to the Pack's headquarters. So far so good. Thank to Ash's hormones, Nisha's meet and greet had gone well, and Mags and William seemed pleasant enough, so now all that was left was the Pack's leader. Seeing as he'd been the first one to loudly question Ash in the arena, the odds weren't looking good, but if Ash could just get through this, he'd feel justified in returning to Sanctum for a nice, long shower and a comfy bed.

As Ash approached the Pack's headquarters, the person guarding the gate spoke up. Odds were fifty-fifty, time to see what the Pack's third impression would be. "Welcome to the Zoo, boss. We was wonderin' when you'd make it down here." She greeted, Ash deciding that was good enough. Two out of three, not bad.

Ignoring the gate-keep as he had all the ones before, Ash walked in and was surprised when he walked up to who he assumed was the leader and the conversation being had wasn't about him. As he waited for the talking to end, Ash looked around and found himself conflicted. On the one hand, this was by far the most colorful headquarters and Ash loved that. On the other hand, the amount of animals roaming about made Ash uncomfortable, years of never getting to be around animals leaving him distrustful of them. Eventually the one yapping left and Ash walked up, nodding once at the man sitting in the throne in greeting.

"Now that I get a closer look at ya, not sure I'm buying this new Overboss thing." The leader said in lieu of literally any other thing he could've said considering Ash was his new boss.

Laughing a bit in that mildly hysterical way of his, Ash tilted his head back in order to look at the leader as he stood up. Fuck, he was tall. It didn't help that he was standing on a raised platform. And that Ash was a bit on the short side. "Good thing I don't need you to fucking buy it since I'm already the goddamn overboss." Ash responded, any intimidation he might've felt at the leader's decidedly towering stature dwarfed by how annoyed he was.

Much to Ash's surprise, the leader laughed, seeming slightly impressed. "You might make it out of here alive, after all. Name's Mason, the Pack's Alpha. This here's our side of town." He said, motioning around him at the Pack's den. "You might be Overboss- for now- but I'm the boss of the Pack, and it's going to stay that way. Long as you don't go forgettin' that, we're gonna be fine."

"Trust me, I'm not fucking interested in running your crew." Ash said, easily finding Mason the most annoying leader so far. Little appeal physically, no appeal in the personality department, **and** he was acting like an aggressive, overly-dominant cunt. Tiny penis, Ash realized. He must have a tiny package that he was compensating for. He wondered if that was a thing people still said or if that was an old-world insult that wouldn't work on someone anymore.

At Ash's assurance, Mason simply grunted a bit, not looking all that convinced. "Look, it ain't like anyone's broke up about Colter. Just figured on his replacement being- well, _different_." He said, not able to see thanks to the low light how Ash narrowed his eyes and not seeming to notice how the shorter man started idly scratching his palm. "But, Gage says you're the boss now, so, you're the boss."

The disappointed tone in Mason's voice was impossible to miss. "Yeah, I **am** the boss." Ash said, stepping up onto the lowest stair of the platform. "And I don't appreciate your fucking tone." He growled, having to side-step a bit in order to get onto the platform and up in Mason's face properly. Mason was still considerably taller, but Ash was too pissed to be intimidated. "So maybe watch it before I show you why I'm fit to fucking lead a bunch of murderers."

Looking mildly impressed, Mason hummed. "Maybe you're the real deal." He said, pissing Ash off even more with how unintimidated he looked. "But we thought Colter was the real deal too and he's laying in a pool of his own blood." Mason said, not making the excellent point he thought he was seeing as Ash had been the one to put him there. "Don't get me wrong, Colter was definitely Overboss. Not a man to mess with. And things were good in the beginning, **real** good. But that was a year ago. Then Colter went soft, wanted to "take stock in what we achieved". Sure, this place beats living in the shit holes we had out there, but it ain't the palace of caps we signed up for."

Rolling his eyes, Ash let out an annoyed sigh. "Boo-fucking-hoo. Colter's dead now and **I'm** in charge. I don't plan on sitting on my fucking ass and not getting shit done."

"Good. Cuz ain't none of us happy, not even the Disciples, and they're normally a chipper bunch so long as their drenched in blood." Mason said, not sounding like he hated the other gangs as much as they hated his gang and eachother. "Things were going to hell fast, but Gage put the brakes on that. Got us together and promised he'd find someone to deal with Colter."

"And so I ascended up from Hell and did just that. What in the absolute fuck is your point?" Ash asked, deciding he'd had enough of Mason.

"Just trying to fill you in on why we're all so pissed off, _boss_." Mason responded, either not knowing or not caring about the thin ice he was stomping on. "Look, let's cut to the chase. You going to do right by the Pack?" Ash would've died laughing then and there if Mason wouldn't have kept talking. "I hear you've been talking to the other gangs."

"Look, bitch," Ash started, patience snapping like a thin branch trying to support a deathclaw. "I've officially had enough of your bullshit. If you don't curb your fucking attitude and calm your fucking tits, I'm going to shove my goddamn knife so far into your head, you're gonna be able to see the inside of your asshole." He growled, gripping the hilt of his knife hard. "We fucking understand eachother?"

Finally seeming to understand the very real danger he was in, Mason very briefly lifted his hands in a defensive way, his voice low. "Whoa there, boss. Not in front of my guys, alright?" He practically whispered, looking around a bit and seeming relieved when he didn't see any curious eyes on them. "You got enough to worry about without a dominance struggle inside the Pack to deal with." Mason's tone didn't sound threatening, more like certain. "You know what? I think we're not so different me and you. I want you to have this."

To Ash's surprise, Mason reached behind his throne and took out a very colorful gun. "Consider it a token of our mutual understanding- and respect." He said, holding the gun out to Ash and seeming quite pleased when he took it uncertainly. A peace offering? A bribe? Ash wasn't sure, but the gun _was_ kinda pretty. It wasn't enough to erase all the bullshit Mason had been spewing all night, but it was pretty. "One last thing before I let you go." Mason said, voice returning to a fairly normal volume. "There's always work to do around here, keeping the Zoo in order. If you're ever able to lend a hand, drop by. Loyalty's a two-way street, after all."

Resisting both the urge to laugh and the stronger urge to stab, Ash left quickly, not sure how long his self-control would hold. He needed to find somewhere private he could relay from quickly. Ash was in desperate need of a shower and a strong drink. Speed-walking away from the Pack's terf, Ash found himself in Operator territory and stumbled into an old clinic-type area. He moved past two Operators further into the clinic, not caring what they thought or what they would think when he didn't come back out, and found a restroom that still had a door. Closing the door quickly, Ash triggered the relay, and breathed a long sigh of relief once he was home.

"Welcome home." A synth who was cleaning the glass tube the elevator traveled in said, Ash raising a finger at them while he breathed.

After a minute, he looked at the synth. "No." Was all he said, heading towards the stairs. The synth didn't say anything else and Ash made it to his room. He slung his pack off and went over to a table, snatching a bottle of alcohol off of it and opening it up to take a long swig. Cringing, Ash started stripping on his way to the bathroom, leaving a trail of clothes behind him, and finally got that shower. One very long shower and a half drunk bottle of alcohol later, Ash felt considerably better.

Toweling off with a dryer-warm towel, Ash got dressed in fresh, comfortable clothes and then got some real food in his stomach. Afterwards, he brushed his teeth and finally felt fresh and comfy enough to get some sleep. As Ash exited the bathroom and passed by the door to his room on his way to his bed, he noticed H1-87 standing there, clearly waiting for him, and frowned a bit. "Do you need something?" He asked, voice coming out fairly even thanks to all the relaxing he'd been doing.

"Yes. You have a visitor." H1-87 responded, their new programming keeping them from calling Ash "sir".

"A vi-" Ash's eyes widened, tone going from confused to excited. "Nice suit, ponytail, silky voice?"

"Affirmative."

Suddenly not tired, Ash grinned broadly. "Is he still up?"

"Affirmative." H1-87 said, neutral as ever.

"Holy shit." Ash muttered, trying not to panic. "Okay, um, go invite him to my room." H1-87 gave a nod and left. In an attempt to calm this new set of nerves, Ash snatched up the liquor bottle from the table but then thought better of it. Wasteland alcohol was disgusting enough without adding toothpaste to the mix. Setting the bottle back down, Ash simply sat down on a couch, trying to look calm and casual. If he couldn't **feel** calm, he could at least try to **look** calm.

Hearing H1-87 clear their throat from the door, Ash looked over and grinned instantly, shortly remembering that he wasn't wearing a mask and trying to dial it down. "Hey." He greeted, internally flinching at his inability to say something more eloquent.

"Hey, killer." Pickman greeted back, his usual calm smile on his face. "This is quite the art exhibit you have here."

"Thanks." Ash said, shaking his head a bit to clear it and patting the space beside him on the couch invitingly. When Pickman took the invitation and joined him, Ash shot a glare at H1-87 and they left, closing the door behind them. "I hope my staff treated you alright."

"Oh yes, they were very welcoming." Pickman replied, leaning back on the couch and making himself comfortable.

Once Pickman was laid out before him, Ash realized he was wearing clothes not unlike the ones he himself had been provided his first day in the Institute. He was clean and groomed and before Ash could stop himself, he was on top of the older man. Pickman responded positively to the attention and the idea of sleeping became some unappealing thing that Ash didn't plan on partaking in any time soon.

The next morning, Ash ensured that Pickman knew he could come and go as he pleased using the device Ash had given him before leaving for Nuka-World. He realized now that he'd had time to calm down that he probably should've checked in with Gage and let him know that talking with the gangs went alright, but he'd been so pissed off after Mason that he hadn't been able to think straight. Ash was in a good mood now, though. He was still fresh from the extra shower he'd taken that morning, stomach full from his breakfast, and body pleasantly sore from the night before, so Ash had a bit of pep in his step as he made his way to Fizztop Mountain.

Ash didn't have the hubris to believe that nothing could spoil his mood, but he at least believed it would take more than Gage to do it. He'd find out whether he was right or wrong about that once the ride up to his room ended.


	12. Nuka-World: Nuka-Galaxy

Chapter Specific Characters: Porter Gage, H1-87

Chapter Specific Tags/Warnings: Mild humiliation, face slapping

* * *

"The Overboss returns." Gage greeted as soon as Ash walked off the lift into Fizztop Grille, looking and sounding relieved. "Took ya long enough." He added quietly, a slight hint of annoyance entering his voice before he moved on. "But you're back in one piece. That's a good sign. Everythin' all peachy with our friendly neighborhood gangs?" Gage asked, not waiting for Ash to respond before he added anxiously, "Sure hope you didn't promise 'em too much. I mean, going a little over the top is part of the game, but you don't want them holdin' it against you if you can't deliver."

Waiting patiently since Gage had clearly been worrying about this all night, Ash shook his head. "Skirted around promising them anything other than that I'd get shit done. Seemed good enough for them." He said, choosing to leave out how he'd come seconds away from killing Mason brutally.

"I knew you had it in you." Gage said, sounding pleased for a moment before switching to serious as he explained to Ash what needed to be done with the parks. Ash half-listened and got the gist of it. Clear a park, assign a gang, repeat. It didn't sound too hard. Even when Gage added that the other gangs might get jealous when Ash didn't choose them for a park. That was a little annoying and reminded Ash of dealing with children, but he felt he'd manage.

"Sounds simple enough." Ash said, confident that whatever had kept the gangs from clearing the parks their own damn selves wouldn't be able to stand up to him. They might've been a few hundred people in total, but Ash, in his not-so-humble opinion, was a force of nature. He'd taken on an actual army and won, clearing out some amusement parks wouldn't be a problem.

"Alright, good to hear." Gage said, smiling a bit at Ash's confidence. "It'll be real nice to have this place all under our control, but feel free to take a minute to settle in before we get goin'." He said, really wanting Ash to get going immediately, but not wanting to push him too hard. "And hey, we're in this together, so I might as well go all-in. You want me watchin' your back, you just say the word." Gage added, having no way of knowing the kind of stress he was signing up for should Ash say yes.

Pausing, Ash considered Gage's offer. He didn't really like people and he really worked better alone, but Ash found he didn't hate the idea of letting Gage tag along. Worst case scenario, he let Gage tag along for one park, hated it, and sent him back while he did the rest solo. Humming a bit in thought, Ash eventually nodded. "Alright. You can come with me." He decided, smirking a bit behind his mask. "But try to stay behind me, my trigger finger is a little unpredictable."

Figuring Ash was joking, Gage gave him a courtesy smile. "Sure thing, boss."

Boarding the lift with Gage, Ash pressed the button and fished an old park layout pamphlet from his coat pocket. He'd seen it on his way up to Fizztop and had grabbed it, thinking it would come in handy. "Looks like the closest park is the Galactic Zone." Ash said, adjusting his direction in relation to Fizztop once the lift stopped and starting to walk in the direction the pamphlet indicated the Galactic Zone to be in.

"It's also the biggest." Gage said, his tone a bit on the warning side. "And full of robots."

That part made Ash pause. "Like, of the laser weapon variety?" He asked, looking at Gage and sliding the pamphlet back into his pocket.

"Yeah?"

Sighing a bit, Ash carried on. "We'll get it over with first, then. If I die doing this one at least I won't have wasted my time doing the other ones for nothing."

"Good attitude, boss." Gage said, clearly being sarcastic.

Normally Ash would've been annoyed, but he was still nice and high from the night before, so Gage's sarcasm just made him smile. "Served me well so far." He quipped back, making quick time to the Galactic Zone and stopping when he came upon a massacre at the front gate. Humming, Ash rummaged through the wreckage and found a holotape on one of the corpses. Sticking it in his Pip-Boy, Ash hit play and found that it was a digital diary.

Skimming through the contents, Ash got the spark notes and dropped the holotape after ejecting it. "According to this corpse, we need "star cores"." He informed, glancing over at Gage and giving a shrug. "Don't know why though, didn't say."

"Probably a stupid reason." Gage grumbled, kicking the holotape aside as he walked up to Ash.

"Maybe." Ash said, drawing his shotgun and cocking it. "Doesn't matter, we have robots to destroy." He said, squaring his shoulders and leading the way into the Galactic Zone.

The robots guarding the park started to swarm instantly and Gage soon realized Ash was being serious when he'd said he should stay behind him. The way Ash whirled around and fired at anything that moved without really looking at it first was a bit concerning and not only did Gage find himself staying behind the trigger-happy man, he found himself staying a distance away from him. Still, Ash was a sight to behold, taking the fire from the robots like it was nothing while his shotgun ripped though their outer paneling and tore up their innards like they were made of flesh and not metal.

Hearing it before he saw it, Gage followed his ears to a bubble turret near the entrance that had come to life and took it out easily with his gun. He looked over to make sure Ash was still doing alright and saw that the man was looking at him, his expression impossible to see due to the low brim of his hat and the mask he wore.

Holstering the pistol he'd pulled out to take out the turret that Gage had beat him to, Ash nodded once at the older man. "Keep that up, alright?" He said, motioning to the air with his hand. "Sin isn't built for range and it takes too long to get Blasphemy out."

Blinking slowly, Gage realized Ash was talking about his weapons and he gave a slow nod. "Can do, boss."

Smiling and finding he didn't mind having Gage around, at least not yet, Ash moved on. Going up a ramp, he continued to take out robots as they came, deciding to clear out as many as he could before getting around to figuring why that corpse had thought star cores were so important. The less robots around to pop up out of nowhere and shoot at them while he figured it out, the better, he figured.

It was easy to get into the zone with Gage sniping the turrets that would've normally broken Ash's concentration and before he really knew what he was doing, he was jumping a railing with what was easily a thirty foot drop beneath him. Gage's shout was what broke Ash from the combat trance he'd fallen into, but by then, it was too late and he was falling. Ash landed on his feet and ended up in front of the robot he'd jumped the railing to get at. Two shots took it down and he looked up to see Gage leaning over the railing and looking down at him with a very conflicted expression.

Snickering softly, Ash stabbed a stimpak into each leg since the fall had fucking hurt and waited a moment for the healing affects to kick in, deciding to also shoot up with a Med-X while he waited. Given his love of jumping from great heights, Ash had had H1-87 do some work on his shoes. They were now much better at absorbing and distributing the impact of landings which meant Ash didn't end up with any broken bones. It still hurt like a bitch, but he could deal with pain much easier than he could deal with a broken bone.

Turning once his legs started to feel better, Ash walked past the ramp he could've used to get to the robot and started for another area where he heard the telltale accent of Mister Handy robots. Gage met him a little ways past the ramp and Ash was jerked back as he was grabbed by the elbow. Looking back, Ash frowned at Gage, jerking his elbow away. "I don't like being grabbed." He growled, the first few wisps of anger finally breaking through the haze of calm he'd been drifting in all morning.

"You coulda died jumpin' from that high up." Gage said, clearly pissed. "Your life ain't the only one at stake if you die, you know."

"It's the only one that matters." Ash said calmly, feeling very satisfied when Gage looked for a split second like he'd been punched in the gut. He recovered quickly and scowled at Ash.

"I'm serious here, you shouldn't be so reckless." Gage pressed, trying not to sound as angry as he felt.

"Sure thing, _dad_." Ash mocked sarcastically, reloading his shotgun as he walked and going back to shooting robots before Gage had a chance to respond.

It wasn't until two hours later that Gage got that chance. They'd walked the entire park, killing every robot in sight, and ended their trek by taking out two assaultrons. Well, Ash had taken out the assaultrons; Gage had barely gotten three shots in. Stepping in front of Ash before he could keep going, Gage tried to look stern instead of pissed. "Look, I ain't tryin' to parent you, but you ain't indestructible. Do you know how much damage an assaultron can do to someone?"

Throwing his head back, Ash groaned loudly. "For fuck's sake." He sighed, tone angry and exasperated. "I'm not gonna get myself killed! You have no idea what kind of shit I've survived, some fucking robots aren't gonna be what finally kills me."

"Put my mind at ease, then." Gage insisted, holstering his gun and crossing his arms over his chest below the bulky armor he wore.

"What?" Ash asked, frowning even knowing Gage couldn't see it.

"What exactly have you lived through that makes you so sure you ain't gonna die actin' like you got a fuckin' guardian angel watchin' your back?" Gage asked, raising an eyebrow when Ash shifted, seeming uncomfortable.

"Look, I didn't expect you to call me on that, I-"

Scoffing, Gage uncrossed his arms, shaking his head. "Yeah, that's what I thought. Don't try to act all tough with me, I don't need the bullshit bravado show."

Clenching his jaw, Ash's eyes narrowed. "Have you heard of the Brotherhood of Steel?"

Frowning at what seemed like a change of subject, Gage nodded slowly. "No one missed that fuckin' airship goin' across the sky, they made sure of that." Eye narrowing, Gage suddenly looked suspicious. "You ain't one of them, are you?"

"No." Ash said, tone not giving away anything. "Did you think it was weird that after they arrived with their big announcement nothing fucking happened?"

"Well, s- hold on, you ain't tryin' to tell me you had a hand in that?" Gage said, looking very much like he thought Ash was full of shit.

"No." Ash responded, smirking a bit as Gage looked relieved. "I **did** that. By myself. I killed everyone aboard their ship and down in the airport they were parked over."

Frowning all over again as Ash tried to sell him what he assumed was one heaping pile of bullshit, Gage shook his head. "The fuck you did." He sighed, sounding annoyed.

Sighing, Ash shook his head as well. "This is why I didn't wanna tell you. I knew you wouldn't believe me."

"I'll tell you what, you prove it and I'll get down on my fuckin' knees and apologize." Gage said, not catching how Ash's eyes lit up. "Until then-"

"Alright." Ash interrupted, smiling at the way Gage faltered.

"What?"

"I'll prove it."

Sighing, Gage looked at Ash almost tiredly. "How?"

"Ever heard of the Institute?" Ash asked, practically able to see the gears in Gage's head turning.

"'Course I have. Everyone in the Commonwealth knows about the Institute." Gage replied slowly, frowning and one hand coming to rest warily on the hilt of the knife on his hip. "Are you tryin' to tell me you're a part of them?"

"No." Ash said, grinning at Gage's relieved expression. He liked doing that, telling Gage "no" only to drop a different bomb on him. "I'm their leader."

Eye widening and then narrowing again, Gage looked at Ash like he didn't believe him. "No way. There's no way **you're** the leader of the shadiest group in the whole damn Commonwealth."

"Rude." Ash muttered, fiddling with his Pip-Boy for a bit before holding his hand out to Gage. "I'll fucking prove it. I'll fucking prove everything."

Frowning even more, Gage looked at Ash's hand and sighed, shaking his head. "This is fuckin' stu-" Gage was cut off as Ash huffed in aggravation and snatched one of his hands before pressing a button on his Pip-Boy.

The world was suddenly replaced by a blinding blue light but only for a second and then Gage was struck by the barely-there smell of rot. It took a minute for him to stop swaying on his feet and when his eye slowly adjusted, he stumbled back anyway, shocked as he and Ash were suddenly in a completely different place. "What the fuck!?" He demanded, looking around wildly for Ash and finding him walking towards some stairs.

"Welcome to Sanctum." Ash said over his shoulder, turning his head forward once more and placing his hand on the banister of the stairway. "Follow me."

"Sanctum?" Gage asked, slowly straightening up and quickly walking up to Ash, his eye darting around the building they were in. It was oddly clean for the most part but then in other areas it was decorated with corpses, the decaying decor causing the slight smell of rot in the air. The weirdest part was the people bustling about like this was all fucking normal. Then Gage spotted one of the more robotic synths and it all seemed to click in his head. A vice-like grip caught his wrist halfway to drawing his gun.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." H1-87 said calmly, seeming to appear out of nowhere behind Gage.

"Sanctum. My home. Formerly known as the Institute." Ash said, walking around to face Gage. "The day I became the acting Director, I had my new synth servants destroy all the humans living here." He explained, placing a hand on his chest. "Now I'm the only permanent human resident."

"You-you're really the leader of the Institute." Gage mumbled, eye wide and arm going limp by his side when Ash motioned for H1-87 to release him.

"Yes, I am. I also really killed the Brotherhood of Steel all by myself. Now come on so I can prove it." Ash said, walking back around Gage and motioning for H1-87 to follow them as he began to walk up the stairs.

Following numbly, Gage found himself in a room with a long table that had a projector on one end. The projector was facing a large screen that took up a good portion of one wall. When Ash pointed to a chair, Gage sat in it, too shocked to ask questions or argue. There was no way he'd accidentally gotten the leader of the fucking Institute to be the Overboss of Nuka-World, right? If he really had, and it was seeming very much like he had, Gage wasn't sure if that made Ash an extremely lucky find or a veritable powder-keg, but he knew that it made him dangerous and more than a little suspicious.

Going over to a shelf, Ash picked up two holotapes and handed them off to H1-87. "Play the Brotherhood one first and then the other one." He informed, sitting down across from Gage and crossing one leg over the other at the knee.

Standing at the head of the table in order to work the projector, H1-87 turned the machine on and the lights in the room snapped off instantly. H1-87 put the first holotape in and soon the screen lit up with poor-quality security camera footage. Even though the footage quality wasn't the best, Gage could clearly make out a short figure crouching behind a suit of power armor. The grainy black and white Ash examined a large gun, crouched back down, shot up with several drugs, and then entered the power armor.

The cameras changed frequently as Ash went on a killing spree, gunning down every Brotherhood member he came up against with mildly frightening gusto. Then Ash came face-to-face with one member and paused. Gage found himself leaning forward a bit in interest and he jumped when Ash, the physical Ash, started talking. Speaking along with the holotape since it had no volume.

"Hey, Danse." Ash said, Gage looking over to see that Ash had removed his hat and mask at some point. "Soldier?" He practically whispered, mimicking Danse's perceived betrayal and deep voice. "No, definitely not." Ash said, smiling as he remembered the feeling of that moment. "It's Ash, by the way. I guess I never told you." He said, not looking away from the screen so he could get his cues right. "Not that it matters. You'll be dead soon and I probably won't make it out of the airport." Ash's face broke into a full-on grin at that point and Gage realized he was paying more attention to the physical Ash than the one on the screen.

"How-how could you do this?" Ash mimicked, trying not to laugh and even doing the betrayed little stutter he'd caught. "I thought it would be fun." He practically whispered, tone not matching what it'd been in the moment, but excitement growing too strong to keep him in character. "I'm going to avenge them." Ash sneered, tone mocking and cruel instead of the strong way it'd come out when Danse had said it so long ago. Then Ash laughed coldly, timing it perfectly with the him on the screen and watching from the corner of his eye as Gage slumped a bit in his seat, eye glued to the screen.

Ash shut up after that and both men watched him kill Danse. Once Ash left the Prydwen, the video quality changed, becoming much better and suddenly having color. The camera also followed Ash considerably better now and, as if he was able to sense Gage's confusion, Ash spoke up again. "Institute drone. I didn't know it at the time, but they were watching me and recorded this whole fight." He sighed lightly, leg swaying a bit. "I must've watched this tape half a dozen times by now."

Deciding not to reply, Gage simply watched Ash kill the remaining Brotherhood of Steel. It cut off shortly after Ash exited his power armor and H1-87 switched the tapes. The screen came on but it was now split into several smaller screens, each one showing a different scene of carnage as the synths of the Institute killed the humans without pause or remorse. Then the screen focused on one section in particular, the section enlarging to show a view of the room they were in now.

As the screen Ash slaughtered the Directorate, the physical Ash spoke up. "See, the leader of the Institute before I got here was actually my long-kidnapped little brother, Shaun." He explained, keeping his eyes on the screen as he spoke. "He decided to make me next in line for the throne because he thought I'd be good for the Institute. I gutted him once I'd gotten all I needed from him and, like I said earlier, ordered my new synths to kill everyone." Ash's tone was wistful and it gave Gage the creeps to think anyone could be so twisted that they'd sound _wistful_ while recounting betraying and murdering their own brother

"I wanted to do it myself, or at least help, but I was injured." Ash explained, frowning a bit and still feeling the disappointment of having missed out on all the fun of his coronation day. "I did manage to kill these ones though. They were so angry when Shaun put me in charge. They didn't trust me, didn't believe in me." He said, sounding oddly pleased. "And they were right. In the end I killed all of them so I could have all of this to myself without having the responsibility of leading those sterile fucks." Ash looked at Gage, the lights having come back on and now illuminating his smiling face and bright eyes. "I wasn't as eager to lead a bunch of scientists as I am to lead a bunch of murderers."

"You gutted your own brother?" Gage asked, that part disturbing him more than the rest. It wasn't exactly like he was one to talk in the family department, but he couldn't imagine killing family. Leaving them behind, sure, but **killing** them? There were lines. Even for raiders.

Smiling at Gage's obvious discomfort, Ash nodded. "Unfortunately I don't have footage of that. It happened in the reactor room which was too new to have cameras yet." He said, sounding somewhat disappointed before perking up a bit. "I still have his corpse though. Bodies stay remarkably fresh down here. I think it's because the air filters and the synths keep everything so clean."

"Holy shit." Gage muttered, looking away from the clearly unwell individual across from him. Then, through the haze in his head, Gage realized something and looked back over at Ash, frowning more. "You- how old are you?" He suddenly asked, realizing only now that there was no way Ash was older than twenty.

Frowning a bit, Ash sighed lightly, having had a feeling that would come when he took his hat and mask off. "Technically I'm over two-hundred years old." He tried, sighing again when Gage looked at him incredulously. "I was frozen before the war and thawed out like four or five months ago." Ash explained, not even sure that Gage would believe him, but deciding to tell the truth anyway. Gage and the truth clearly had a rocky relationship since Ash had been nothing but honest all day and Gage had been a disbelieving dick, but it was worth a shot.

"Let's say I believe all that," Gage started, one part of himself telling him to believe Ash since he hadn't been lying about everything else, but the other side telling him that Ash's explanation sounded like some bullshit. "how old were you before?"

"I turned eighteen in February." Ash conceded, mildly annoyed but trying to be patient with Gage. He wanted this whole Nuka-World thing to work out but if Gage kept being so difficult, he might have to remove him from the picture. "It was like a week after I took the Institute and turned it into Sanctum."

"Fuckin' Christ." Gage breathed, leaning back in his chair and running his hand over his mohawk once. "The leader of the goddamn Institute and a fuckin' teenager to boot. The gangs are gonna fuckin' string me up."

"Oh please." Ash muttered, rolling his eyes. "The fucking gangs don't need to know shit. I only even told you because-" Ash paused, not really sure **why** he'd told Gage. Did he want Gage to trust him? Was he just trying to get the man off his back? Was he still trying to prove himself?

"Because?" Gage prompted, agitated and not liking how Ash just trailed off like that.

"Because you wouldn't get off my back." Ash muttered, going with the most believable, least annoying option. Then he turned to look at Gage, a slow smile spreading across his face. "Which reminds me." Ash said, standing and walking around the table to where Gage was. "I do believe you owe me that apology."

Face turning red, Gage scowled at Ash. Of course he'd fucking remembered Gage's stupid offer. Looking away from Ash's smug face, Gage swallowed his pride and stood up slowly. He hesitated a bit longer before sighing and getting down on his knees. "Sorry." Gage muttered, not looking at Ash.

Grin practically predatory, Ash reached out and grabbed Gage's chin, making the older man look at him. "What was that? I couldn't hear you muttering off to the side like that." He breathed, clearly enjoying this a great deal.

Gritting his teeth, Gage glared through the embarrassment making his face hot and red. "Sorry." He repeated, having no choice but to look at Ash's smug face while he said it this time.

"For what?" Ash purred, amber eyes almost looking like they were on fire from how bright they were in Ash's delight.

"Come on, boss." Gage grumbled, trying to pull his chin away from Ash.

Suddenly slapping Gage across the face so hard that his head jerked to the side, Ash snatched the older man's chin again, forcing his shocked face to meet his own cold one. "For. What?" He repeated slowly, tone now dangerous.

Swallowing hard, Gage had to clear his throat to get his voice to come out. "For not believin' you." He said softly, finding that he was actually a little afraid of Ash. "I'm sorry for not believin' you."

Relaxing, Ash smiled once again, releasing Gage's chin and giving the cheek he'd slapped a few light taps. "Thank you, Gage. I forgive you this time." He said, tone light once again. Ash then moved past Gage, walking over to the doorway. "How do you feel about taking a little breather since we're already here? You could take a shower, think about your life choices, get your clothes washed, all that good shit." He offered, turning to look at Gage again. "We'll get back to clearing out the Galactic Zone as soon as your clothes are dry." Ash assured, tone disturbingly calm and casual after what had just happened.

"Sure thing, boss." Gage answered, feeling oddly numb. Was this what shock felt like? He hadn't been in shock since he'd killed someone for the first time so he couldn't quite recall if this is what it felt like.

"Great." Ash said happily, motioning for Gage to follow him and leading the older man to a room. "Just leave your stuff by the door, my synths'll take care of it."

"Right." Gage muttered, stripping and leaving his gear by the door once Ash left. He numbly found his way to the shower and figured out how it worked fairly quickly. Gage had used a shower before, but it had been slightly different from this one, and the water pressure had been shit. It also wasn't so hot, the water coming out lukewarm at best. It took quite a bit of adjusting the temperature for Gage to find a comfortable heat and when he got out of the shower, he found a towel waiting for him. It was warm and soft and Gage slowly began to understand why Ash had killed for this. It _was_ really nice.

Ash for his part was in his own quarters practically hyperventilating. He'd just done all that. He'd just _slapped_ a man probably twice his age and forced an apology out of him. He'd managed to keep it together up until he was away from Gage and now he was freaking out. Ash wasn't really sure _why_ he was panicking. It wasn't as though he believed Gage would turn on him or refuse to follow him now. He'd made it abundantly clear that Ash was his last shot at redemption with the Nuka-World gangs so he couldn't afford to turn on him.

It wasn't until Ash found himself lingering on the memory of what had happened that he realized why he was freaking out so hard. Having a man probably twice his age kneeling on the floor, asking for his forgiveness, the feeling he'd gotten when he'd slapped Gage and he'd complied, the **power**. It was all making Ash hot under the collar. Letting out a mildly hysterical laugh, Ash ran his fingers through his hair. This was not the time to realize he had a thing for dominating older, larger men! He had shit to do today! He didn't have _time_ for sexual awakenings!

After taking care of the problem his newfound kink was causing him simply because there was nothing else to do for it by that point, Ash walked out of his room to enjoy a smoke. He was thinking of having his synths add a balcony to his room since coming out to the stairs to smoke every time simply didn't have the same dramatic flair, but he'd neglected to give the order yet, still waiting to make sure Sanctum really was running smoothly without all the scientists around before he started making aesthetic changes. Eventually he'd be sure that Sanctum really wasn't going to fall apart at the seems though and then he could really start the beautifying process.

Calming down thanks to his smoke break and the mental change of subject, Ash returned to his room and simply relaxed until H1-87 appeared in his door with Gage. Looking up, Ash grabbed his hat and mask from the coffee table in front of him. "Ready to go then?"

"Yeah." Gage mumbled, moving past H1-87 uncomfortably and walking up to Ash.

Nodding, Ash put his hat and mask back on and fiddled with his Pip-Boy a bit. This time when he held his hand out to Gage, he took it immediately, and Ash triggered another relay, taking them back to the Galactic Zone.

After he finished swaying and his world came back into focus, Gage frowned at Ash. "What is that? How did you do that?"

"Teleportation." Ash answered simply, giving a shrug. "Or something like it. I don't know for sure, I just know it's super fucking convenient."

"Right." Gage said, drawing his gun when Ash did the same and following the teen as he decided which direction to go in. Teleportation sounded like bullshit, but after everything else that Gage had thought was bullshit turned out to be true, he was reluctant not to believe Ash. He certainly wasn't going to give him any indication that he didn't believe him, not after what had happened in Sanctum. Gage wasn't mad about it. He supposed he'd deserved it for the way he'd been acting, but it had been humiliating and if he could avoid finding himself in that situation again, he'd consider it a small but worthwhile victory.

Remembering that he was supposed to be figuring out the significance of star cores, Ash decided to let Gage's tone go for now. After walking around briefly, he found himself in front of a building suspiciously labeled "Star Control" and nodded a bit, deciding this was a good place to start looking. The fresh-ish corpse on the floor was also a good hint.

Stepping over the corpse, Ash found a terminal and looked at the screen. For the most part, it was techy nonsense, but down at the bottom it mentioned needing star cores to "initialize emergency operations mode". Humming a bit, Ash left the terminal and noticed the glowing contraption near the corpse. He remembered seeing a few of those around the park while he was destroying robots and picked it up, also noticing several empty spaces on the consoles around the terminal. Shrugging, Ash pushed the contraption into place on the console and went back to the terminal.

Hitting the command to initialize emergency operations mode, the techy jargon changed to words Ash could actually understand. "Huh. Looks like star cores would've chilled those robots out." He said, clicking on the star core network and making notes on his Pip-Boy

"Too late for that now." Gage muttered, leaning against the railing opposite the consoles as Ash worked.

"Yeah." Ash said, straightening up. "Still, I don't mind a good scavenger hunt." He hummed, looking down at his Pip-Boy again. "Looks like these star cores are all over the fucking place."

Shrugging, Gage straightened up. "If you want me to keep an out for 'em, just say the word."

"Sure." Ash said distractedly, lowering his Pip-Boy and drawing his gun just in case. He walked past Gage and started leading the way to the first place he wanted to go. As they entered Nuka-Galaxy, Ash smiled. This ride had always been his favorite. It was stupid and the line had always been insane, but he'd always loved riding it for one reason and one reason only.

Destroying more robots on the way, Ash walked into a little control booth just before where the ride would start and switched the lighting setting from "emergency" to "ride". Grinning, Ash walked onto the tracks and into the launch bay. There were some more robots to deal with but Ash shot them through the broken glass and then waited. Once the door opened for the broken rocket ship to go through onto the tracks, Ash dashed through, easily keeping his footing on the tracks thanks to the thick center pole that kept his feet from slipping through the gaps between the bars.

"What the fuck are you doin'?" Gage shouted, following Ash only out the door and then stopping, realizing exactly what the teen was up to but not believing it.

Sighing, Ash spun around, literally spun, to look at Gage, smiling despite himself at the amount of anxiety he'd clearly just given the man by doing that. "Feel free to follow me through the service areas if you're too scared to walk the tracks."

Bristling a bit, Gage frowned at Ash. "I ain't scared, this is just one of those unnecessary risks I tried to warn you about earlier." He argued, glancing down and quickly looking back up. "'Sides, it's dark as shit down there since you fucked with the lights."

Holstering his gun, Ash took off his Pip-Boy and tossed it at Gage. "It's got a flashlight, knock yourself out." He said, spinning around again and taking his pistol out as he walked the tracks. He could hear Gage swearing and doubling back to use the service doors while fumbling to get the Pip-Boy on. That was the last bit of attention he paid to Gage though as he focused on keeping his footing and blowing up the turrets that tried to kill him now that they were in defense mode instead of light-show mode.

There were also several Mister Gutsy robots that needed taking care of and then there was the fact the tracks were still littered with rocket carts. Ash had to climb over the carts in the dark since he'd given Gage his Pip-Boy, but he was doing pretty good for working in almost complete darkness. He could occasionally hear Gage swearing or shooting and Ash could practically sense the anxiety floating up from the older man any time he lost his footing and swayed precariously on the tracks. Still, Ash was having a grand time, especially since it was at Gage's expense.

Once Ash passed through an extremely dark corridor, he knew he was getting to his favorite part. Coming around a final bend, he reached the end of the ride and looked to the side eagerly. Gasping when he saw it, Ash ran over the tracks, nearly tripping, and stopped in front of the rocket with the Nuka-Girl animatronic sitting on it.

Grinning ecstatically, Ash carefully ripped the boots from the robot and looked them over. For once he was happy about his petite frame as he took his own boots off and, with a good deal of effort considering the jeans he was wearing, put on the Nuka Girl boots instead. They were even longer on his short legs then they were meant to be, but they fit just fine and Ash was practically giddy as he zipped them up. He'd always wanted to wear the Nuka-Girl costume just for the boots but Nate and Nora had used him being too old for trick-or-treating as an excuse to not let him get one of the costumes when they'd come out so long ago.

Pausing and thinking for a bit, Ash also took the rest of the Nuka-Girl costume except for the helmet and the hood thing that came with it. If he died that outfit black, it would probably look kickass on him. It would mean making his midriff a target, but Ash saw that as a fair trade-off. No one ever died from a gut shot quickly enough that a hastily applied stimpak wouldn't save them. He'd probably get passive aggressive grief from H1-87 when he forced them to give his new boots the shock-absorbing treatment he'd had them give his old boots too, but that was also a fair trade-off. The rest of the outfit went into Ash's bag along with his old boots.

Hearing running and panting, Ash didn't bother to turn around to see Gage come into the room. "Damn it, boss, I'm gettin' to feel like a- what are you doin'?" He started to scold but stopped as he saw Ash standing with his back turned to him, looking down. It must've looked very dramatic from where Gage was standing but as Ash turned around with Nuka Girl's boots on his feet, Gage face-palmed. "You gotta be fuckin' kiddin' me." He grumbled, scrubbing his hand over his face.

Frowning at Gage's reaction, Ash crossed his arms over his chest. "No, I'm not." He said sternly, smiling again as he uncrossed his arms and looked down at the boots. "I love them." Ash took a step and almost collapsed, having never walked in heels before let alone thigh-high stiletto boots. He recovered quickly though and took his next steps more carefully before he found a rhythm that worked. It would be hell to run in them, but Ash was determined to make it work.

"Ya can barely walk in the damn things!" Gage argued, watching as Ash acclimated impressively quickly. "How do you plan to fight in 'em?"

"I'll manage." Ash said, stopping in front of Gage and grinning now that he was barely shorter than the older man.

Still frowning, Gage sighed. "At least they make you taller." He grumbled, knowing he wasn't going to win this argument.

"They also make me happy and considering you know how I am when I'm not happy, you should be in support of the boots." Ash said, tone laced with a threat that made Gage frown at him.

"Yeah, alright. Point taken, tough guy." Gage grumbled, looking away from Ash's cold gaze. When he looked back, Ash was still looking at him and Gage took a step back, uncomfortable. "What?"

"My Pip-Boy." Ash said, smirking a bit and holding his hand out.

Having forgotten he was wearing the clunky device, Gage quickly took it off and passed it to Ash. "Thanks." He muttered, averting his eye. "It, uh, it helped."

"Mmhm." Ash hummed, clicking his Pip-Boy back into place and continuing on. He was taking things more slowly since he wasn't trying to break his ankles, but every step made Ash more confident and he slowly felt better and better about picking up speed.

"I managed to grab some star cores in between shooting robots and following you, by the way." Gage mentioned, sounding annoyed.

"Cool." Ash replied, not feeling particularly annoyed at Gage's tone because he knew he was pissing the older man off far worse by staying calm. He crouched in front of a lock and picked it in less than a minute, straightening back up and swaying a bit on his feet. That was probably a mix of his new height and generally being unsteady on the huge heels.

"You're real good at that." Gage said, making Ash start a little as he was **right** beside him.

"Jesus, Gage." Ash huffed, sighing lightly and then frowning a bit when what Gage said really sank in. Deciding not to respond, Ash walked through the door and began searching the area for the remaining star cores.

"Didn't mean to startle ya, boss." Gage said, the hint of amusement in his voice making Ash skeptical. "I just never was any good with locks and shit, never had the fingers for it. It's sort of impressive watchin' you do it." He said, following Ash out of Nuka-Galaxy once he'd found the cores he was looking for.

Ash waited for the flood of annoyance or for the aggressive retort to bubble up in his throat, but neither came. Ash wasn't annoyed by Gage's compliment. "Guess I'm just nimble." He muttered, looking down at his Pip-Boy to chart a new course. If Gage said anything else. Ash didn't hear it as he kept moving, heading for the Vault-Tec-funded giant advertisement of a ride next.

There must be something about the people that Ash could handle praise from, he thought as he walked. Something they had in common that made them different. With a shock of horror, Ash realized he had a huge crush on Pickman and a small crush on H1-87. Was that what was the same? Surely he wasn't crushing on Gage too? Then he remembered the way it'd felt to have Gage on his knees and he almost ran into a pole from being stuck in his own head.

"You alright, boss?" Gage asked, voice concerned as he'd seen Ash come two steps from smacking face-first into that pole.

"No." Ash muttered, stepping around the pole and carrying on. "I'm fine." He said more loudly, sighing a bit. "Just thinking."

"Alright." Gage muttered, seeming to know when to drop a subject.

Yeah, he had a crush on Gage. Ash wondered idly if it was hormones that made him develop crushes so easily or if he was just that type of person. He supposed it didn't matter, there was nothing to do for it except wait for it to wither and die of neglect since Ash felt strongly that Gage wouldn't ever be interested knowing what he knew about Ash.

Pushing his thoughts aside as they finally arrived in front of Vault-Tec: Among the Stars, Ash drew his shotgun. It was time to clear his head by destroying some more robots.

* * *

Author's Note: Let me just say that I love Gage to pieces. He's my third favorite Fallout 4 husband, second if we're only counting characters we can ACTUALLY romance, and he is a good, valid husband. However, I also really like hurting the ones I love, so I don't really feel bad about letting Ash slap him...


	13. Nuka-World: Galactic Zone

Characters: Porter Gage, H1-87, Maddox, Mackenzie Bridgeman, Shelbie Chase, Aaron Corbett

Tags/Warnings: Mouth mutilation

* * *

Taking about six steps into Among the Stars, Ash suddenly froze. Gage didn't notice and kept going, looking around with a look that could be described as disapproving. "You ask me, whole idea of these "vaults" was messed up." He said, kicking a bit of rubble as he looked about. "Sure, stick me underground with no control over anything. What could go wrong?" Gage said sarcastically, turning to look at Ash and frowning. He still didn't look right.

Realizing Gage had said something, Ash shook his head a bit and looked over at him. "Yeah, vaults were sketch." He muttered, taking a step back. "This is the exit, we should head back outside and look for the actual entrance." Ash was trying to sound casual but the look on Gage's face said he wasn't buying it.

"There's elevators right over here, boss. I'm sure they work just fine." Gage said, walking over to the elevators and pressing the button. One door opened immediately and Gage looked at Ash. "See?"

Body rigid, Ash shook his head lightly. "Still, the other entrance can't be that far away." He insisted, thinking that perhaps this was one of the reasons he preferred traveling alone.

"Are- are you afraid of elevators?" Gage asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No." Ash answered immediately, defensively. "I just- look, it's none of your fucking business, I'm going to find the other entrance."

Sighing, Gage put his hands up defensively. "You're the boss." He sighed, sounding exasperated.

Exiting the attraction quickly, Ash practically stormed off, searching with purpose for the other entrance. After about ten minutes, he found it and let out a relieved sigh, entering the building and visibly relaxing when he saw he wouldn't have to use the elevators. "There, see? It wasn't that far away." Ash said, walking over to the start of the attraction.

"Sure wasn't." Gage muttered, following Ash and still wondering what the big fucking deal was. Lots of people didn't like using elevators, they were unreliable at best, so it wasn't any reason to get so defensive. Was that it? Did Ash simply distrust elevators or was it something else? He supposed he wouldn't ever find out since Ash's trust issues seemed to run even deeper than his own, which was saying something.

After dealing with some robots and collecting a star core in the first section of the tour, Ash and Gage moved on to the next section. After they shot the robot and turrets there, they passed the machines that were supposed to check the level of radiation of the people who entered the vault and Ash stumbled, suddenly having a hard time getting his legs to do what he wanted them to. Gage started to say something about his heels again, but then he also swayed on his feet, letting out a groan.

"What the fuck was that?" Ash muttered, holding onto the railing past the machines and rubbing his temples a bit. It wasn't that late in the day, he wasn't hungry yet, and he'd been keeping up with his hydration. On top of that, Gage had also lost his balance, so it wasn't just Ash.

"Dunno." Gage muttered, quickly passing the machines to hold onto the railing as well. "But I already hate this vault."

Laughing a bit despite himself, Ash straightened up and found his balance had returned. Moving on, Ash walked into the next section and shot the robots within, having to resist the urge to jump the railing to get at the one below him since he was now wearing four-inch long heels. In the next room, Ash suddenly got a very light headache which made dealing with the Handy robots there a little more difficult. When Gage walked in behind him and made a sound, Ash looked back at him. "Headache?"

"You too, huh?" Gage asked back, rubbing his temples a bit.

"Alright, we need to figure out what the fuck is going on in here." Ash grumbled, having learned of Vault-Tec's proclivity for experiments when he'd escaped Vault 111 and feeling suspicious since this whole attraction had been funded by Vault-Tec. Stepping off the main path yet again, Ash went into the little room beyond the display of a home. In that room he found a star core and a terminal. Crouching in front of the terminal, Ash went through the logs and frowned in annoyance. "I fuckin' knew it." He muttered, straightening up and heading out of the room to find Gage nursing his headache on a couch.

"This room and the room where we both lost our balance were experiment rooms. There's two more to go." Ash informed, glancing around the room. "Fucking Vault-Tec."

"Guess we better just get it over with then." Gage sighed, standing up.

Nodding, Ash moved on, searching conjoining rooms and finding a star core in a room with two huge reactors that pissed off his geiger counter. He took care of the robots and grabbed the star core quickly before bolting out of the room. Once he got back on the main path and entered the next section of the tour, he noticed misters shooting out a green spray and frowned. "I think I found the next experiment." He said, looking over his shoulder at Gage. "If you hold your breath you should be fine."

Taking a deep breath, Gage hurried down the path behind Ash, keeping his breath held until they were past the misters. The next two sections were empty aside from a brief blast of radiation, the fourth and final experiment, and some turrets and then they'd reached the end. Frowning, Ash checked his Pip-Boy and sighed as there were three more star cores to be found in this particular attraction.

"We gotta head back, we didn't find all the cores." Ash informed, lowering his Pip-Boy.

The idea clearly agitated Gage but he nodded regardless, following Ash as he doubled back to check the employee areas he'd avoided. The area that Ash checked first had a fucking assaultron in it that Ash destroyed as quickly as he could, getting multiple burns from the robot's burst-lasers in the process. That section also happened to have the three remaining star cores in it though, so Ash and Gage were able to leave right after.

Checking his map, Ash realized another attraction they needed was nearby and led the way to the Starlight Interstellar Theater. When he started to climb the steps up to the doors, Ash swayed a bit and had to stop. Checking his Pip-Boy, Ash realized he'd sucked up more radiation from the room with the reactors than he'd realized. Groaning in aggravation, Ash sat down heavily on the steps and started rifling around in his bag.

"I need a minute. My fuckin' head is spinning." He grumbled as Gage came over, looking concerned. "Rads." He explained, fishing a Rad-Away out of his bag and yanking up the sleeve on his right arm to jam the needle into his veins and let it do it's thing. With his sleeve up, Gage could see all the cigarette burns on Ash's arm and his brows furrowed.

"The fuck happened there?" He asked, motioning at the burns.

Looking down at his arm, Ash shrugged. "I thought it would be cool to desensitize myself to cigarette burns." He explained, leaning back while the Rad-Away flushed his system.

"You're fuckin' weird." Gage grumbled, shaking his head.

"So I've been told." Ash responded, not seeming to care what Gage thought of him. Deciding it was a good time for it, Ash fished some potato crisps out of his bag and offered Gage a can. The older man looked at them suspiciously for a moment before taking them with a muttered "thanks". Ash simply hummed in response and popped his can open, eating the stale chips within and washing them down with a Nuka-Cola.

After Ash was done with his snack, he took the IV out of his arm and tossed it aside. He stood up and found he felt much better. Drawing his shotgun, Ash walked into the theater and was immediately greeted by the sound of a film reel spinning in a projector and tires rolling along the floor. Crouching instantly, Ash cursed quietly and motioned for Gage to get down.

"Sentry bot." He whispered once Gage joined him, vaguely remembering the giant robot concession vendor from his visit when he was nine. "Last time I fought a sentry bot I got two of my ribs broken."

"Fuck." Gage muttered, looking around. "How do you wanna play this?"

"Just stay low and try to be quiet. We might be able to sneak up on it." Ash whispered back, starting to creep forward. He chose to go right and once he got to the room where there was a movie surprisingly playing, Ash peeked around the corner and pressed himself flat against the wall immediately after. "It's in there." Ash whispered, quickly but quietly holstering his shotgun and taking his pack off. Thanking his tendency to hoard explosives when he found them, Ash pulled out a cryo mine, a plasma mine, a pulse mine, and two frag mines. "I have a plan." He whispered, turning to a very concerned-looking Gage.

"Yeah, I was afraid you'd say that." Gage whispered back, looking at the mines in Ash's arms and then back at his face.

Grinning, Ash activated all the mines and tossed them gently into the entryway of the theater area. "Okay, I'm gonna do something stupid. Get back." He said quietly, drawing his pistol and standing slowly.

Seeing where this was going, Gage swore quietly and moved as quickly and as quietly as he could away from Ash. "You better not get yourself killed." He hissed from around the corner of his new hiding spot.

"No promises." Ash whisper-yelled back, stepping out of his hiding spot and shooting his pistol into the air a few times. The red glow of the sentry bot's visual processor landed on him and Ash started sprinting for Gage's hiding spot. Grabbing the man as he passed him, Ash kept going, only stopping once they'd made it to the front desk in the lobby. Seconds after Ash stopped, there were several loud bangs and then, after a brief delay, another loud bang.

Panting softly, Ash listened closely and laughed a bit when he didn't hear tires anymore. "I think that worked." He breathed, surprised to find Gage was also smiling.

"You're fuckin' crazy." Gage said, sounding impressed even as he shook his head.

"My parents always thought so." Ash replied, walking back to the theater area and smiling at the wrecked sentry bot blocking the entrance. After taking out some more robots and turrets, Ash and Gage were free to search the first floor of the theater for star cores. No new problems arose until the entire first floor had been swept and Ash realized they were still missing a star core. The only way to the second floor was by elevator.

Taking a deep breath, Ash boarded the elevator and motioned for Gage to get on. The older man looked surprised but boarded as well and couldn't help but notice how tense Ash was for the duration of the short ride to the second floor of the building. The second the doors opened enough, Ash practically sprinted out of the elevator, almost wiping out several times as his heels caught in the holes in the metal walkway. Still, he made it to his destination and immediately clung to a bit of creaky railing, leaning over it while he breathed heavily.

"Alright, seriously, boss, what's your deal with elevators?" Gage demanded, walking up to Ash and crossing his arms over his chest.

After taking a moment to breathe and ignore his companion, Ash sighed. "I'm claustrophobic, alright?" He mumbled, refusing to look at Gage.

"Closet-what-now?" Gage asked, frowning at Ash. "I'm a raider, boss, use small words."

Sighing, Ash looked at Gage, looking oddly tired. "I don't like small, enclosed spaces. They freak me out."

A look of realization dawning on his face, Gage nodded slowly. "Oh." He said, rubbing the back of his neck a bit when Ash looked away again. "Uh, look, I won't tell anyone." Gage said, feeling weirdly bad for having forced Ash to share.

"Thanks." Ash muttered, finally straightening up, but not sounding any better. Then he moved on, turning on his Pip-Boy's flashlight and starting to search the upper floor for the final star core, being more careful now that he'd calmed down about his heels catching in the floor. Ash eventually found it and destroyed the protectron that had been guarding it, but then another problem presented itself. The only way down was either the elevator or an ankle-breaking drop from the upper floor to the lower one. Ash could've put his other shoes on to make the drop, but that didn't occur to him while he was staring at the elevator and panicking.

"Nope." He finally said, turning around and trying to get past Gage to the stairs that would take him back out to the catwalk. "I'll take my chances jumping the railing."

"The hell you will!" Gage shouted, blocking Ash from getting past him. "It won't be that bad! The ride is short!"

"Fuck you, Gage, get out of my way!" Ash shouted back, struggling harder to get past the larger, stronger man.

"I'm afraid of the dark!" Gage suddenly yelled, making Ash pause in his struggling.

"What?"

"The dark. It freaks me the hell out like small spaces do for you." Gage said, looking embarrassed.

Blinking slowly, Ash took a step away from Gage. He wasn't sure why that information made him feel so much better, but it did. "Yeah?" He asked quietly, searching Gage's face for any indication that he was just fucking with him.

"Yeah." Gage confirmed, looking at Ash despite his embarrassment.

Letting out a soft breath, Ash nodded slowly and turned to face the elevator. Taking another moment to breathe, Ash boarded the elevator and pressed the button once Gage joined him. He still hurried out of the elevator once it stopped, but his recovery time had lessened a bit. "Thanks, Gage." Ash said quietly after he'd had his breather moment. "You- that helped."

"Sure thing, boss." Gage said softly, not looking at Ash.

Smiling a bit, Ash led the way out of the theater and back up to Star Control. He plugged in all the new star cores and checked the terminal to find a new sequence of jargon he couldn't understand. Under that was the only option available to Ash: "continue". Pressing the button, Ash was informed of a malfunction and given the option to shut down "defensive protocols". Reading that this would shut down all the robots left in the Galactic Zone, Ash grinned and hit the command, straightening up and turning to Gage once it was done.

"Well, that did it. All the robots left in the Galactic Zone are now non-hostile." He announced, sounding quite pleased.

"You sure?" Gage asked, straightening up from the railing he'd been leaning on. "That's all it took?"

Giving a shrug, Ash started walking. "One way to find out. There's one attraction we haven't cleared yet."

With Gage following behind him, Ash made his way to the Rob-Co Battlezone and walked in, drawing his shotgun just in case. Upon coming across his first active robot, though, Ash found that his shotgun was unnecessary. The robots within the battlezone were indeed passive. As Ash and Gage walked around and Ash looted the attraction, the teen found himself thanking his supposed guardian angel for his deciding to leave this attraction for last. The amount of assaultrons just waiting to activate and maul trespassers was honestly concerning.

After finishing with the Rob-Co Battlezone, Ash led the way back to Star Control and stopped in front of the flagpole where he was to hang a gang's flag and officially claim the park.

"You actually fuckin' did it." Gage said softly, grinning broadly.

Nodding, Ash looked at the options laid before him and came to a decision quickly. Attaching the flag and hoisting it, Ash looked up to admire the symbol of the Disciples flying proudly in the strong winds of a coming storm.

"There it is." Gage sighed, placing his hands on his hips. "The first park cleared." He looked at Ash and grinned. "I knew you had what it takes."

Laughing as the first few drops of rain started falling from the sky, Ash shook his head. "Don't go gettin' all sentimental on me just yet, Gage, I haven't delivered you all to paradise yet."

"Yeah, well, damn good start." Gage muttered, looking to the sky and realizing it wasn't just dark thanks to the storm. "It's gettin' pretty late, boss. Maybe we oughta call it a day, get at the rest of the parks in the mornin'."

Checking the time on his Pip-Boy, Ash nodded. "Good idea." Hesitating, Ash looked at Gage. "Look, as nice as Fizztop is, I'd rather relax in Sanctum." He said, hesitating again before offering Gage his hand. "You could join me if you wanted."

After looking at Ash's outstretched hand for a minute, Gage nodded slowly and took it. "Yeah, alright." He said quietly, unable to see the pleased look on Ash's face as he triggered the relay and took them both to his home. The relay wasn't as hard the third time around and Gage's world stopped swimming fairly quickly.

"So, the room I showed you to earlier today is yours now." Ash said, eyes wandering around his home as he spoke. "All the good booze and shit is in my room, so feel free to stop by and help yourself. The doors'll be locked if I don't want company." His wandering eyes finally landed on Gage and Ash motioned around with his hands. "Feel free to explore or whatever." Ash didn't wait for Gage to respond before he left, heading to the makeshift workshop area in his room.

H1-87 appeared behind Ash, clearing their throat softly and making Ash start lightly. "Are you certain it's wise to be giving so many people access to Sanctum?" They asked, following Ash to his workshop.

"First of all, Sanctum is **mine** so that's my business, not yours." Ash started, glancing back at H1-87. "Second of all, Pickman is the only person who has access without me being there to relay him, so it's really only one person."

Looking unimpressed, which was basically their resting face, so no big surprise there, H1-87 hummed. "Very well." They said, still sounding displeased, but their programming recognizing Ash's power-play as their cue to drop it.

"I am glad you're here though." Ash said, hopping up on a table to remove his boots. "I need you to give these boots that treatment you gave my other ones." He said, holding them out to H1-87 once he got them off. When they took the boots reluctantly and started to open their mouth, Ash held out a finger. "No sass, just do it."

Sighing, H1-87 obeyed, taking the lining from Ash's old boots and working the lining into the new boots. Once they were done, they stood back, looking to Ash for approval.

Hopping off the table, Ash examined his boots and smiled. "Excellent. You're dismissed." Watching as H1-87 nodded once before leaving, Ash got to work on bulletproofing his new clothes and then on dying them black. It took a couple hours, but when Ash finished, he was quite proud of himself and sent all of his clothes off to be washed.

After a shower, Ash had dinner and was relaxing on the couch doodling in his sketchbook when Gage entered his room with a light clearing of his throat. "Hey, boss, can we talk?" He asked, stopping just short of the couch.

"Yeah, sure." Ash said, turning on the couch to look at Gage properly and motioning for him to sit down as well. "What is it?"

Shaking his head at the offer, Gage looked about uncomfortably for a moment before getting to what he'd wanted to say. "I, uh, I just wanted to say-" He hesitated, making a face, but then continued. "That whole thing with Colter. I know we talked about it some, but- it could be a sore spot between us, yeah?" Gage finally spat out, shifting a bit. "I mean, here I went and turned on the Overboss. Who's to say I wouldn't do it again?"

It took a moment for Ash to realize Gage was serious and he laughed softly, tilting his head at Gage. "Gage, you know what I'm capable of. I don't think you're stupid enough to betray me." He said, surprised when Gage looked relieved.

"Okay. Okay, good." Gage said, sounding as relieved as he looked. "Look, Colter was a piece of shit, I've been real clear about that with you. But that- really was all on me. I'm the one who talked him into being Overboss in the first place." He said, sounding like it was fairly difficult for him to admit his fault in the matter.

"I mean, I'd say you learned your lesson, but-" Ash trailed off intentionally, motioning at himself as he leaned back against the arm of the couch.

Much to Ash's surprise, Gage laughed a bit. "Yeah, well, you're alot different from Colter." He said, sobering up quickly and carrying on with what he was saying. "Y'see, right then, I thought Colter was what this operation needed. Big, strong, didn't take shit from nobody. The gangs would fear and respect him, and he'd listen to me. I'd use all my years of experience to help him run things." Then Gage's expression soured and his voice followed suit. "But he was stubborn, let shit go to his head. Ain't the first time I've seen it, honestly, but it was one of the worst."

"I'm pretty stubborn too." Ash said lowly, watching Gage intently. He didn't need to add anything else, the implication was there and Gage caught it.

"Yeah, but like I said, you're different." Gage said, watching Ash just as intently as he was him. "You listen to me, for the most part, and you've already done more to get the parks cleared in the two days you've been in charge than Colter did in the year he was in charge."

"How come you didn't just take over?" Ash asked, frowning lightly. "You seem like leader material to me and if you were leading from behind the scenes, you were basically in charge anyway."

"Nope, not me. That's not how I operate." Gage said, shaking his head. "One thing I've learned over the years: being the guy in charge also means you're the guy with the biggest target on your back. Whether it's another gang looking to take whatever you've scraped together, or some punk thinking he knows better than the boss, there is always, **always** someone gunning for you." He said, sounding quite sure of that and shaking his head again. "I don't want that target on me, but if I can be the guy just behind the guy in charge, well that suits me just fine. If I got his ear, I can steer things in a direction that benefits me, and usually everyone else."

"This is all awfully honest of you, Gage." Ash said, frowning at the older man as his brows furrowed. "What makes you so confident that I won't shoot you for trying to "steer" me?"

"Well, you ain't shot me yet." Gage responded, not really sounding or looking confident, but shrugging anyway. "My odds felt pretty good."

Smiling a bit, Ash gave a nod, looking away. "Fair. I don't mind the idea of you whispering in my ear from behind anyway." He said, smile turning into a smirk to hide the panic he'd just caused himself as he looked at Gage out of the corner of his eyes. Holy fucking fuck, where had that come from? Nope, no time to freak out now, he just had to own that shit.

"Jesus Christ, boss." Gage grumbled, looking away and shaking his head. "I'm tryin' to be serious here." He sighed and looked at Ash again, regaining his composure and carrying on. "My point was ya ain't like Colter. You ain't like the other raiders I've run with. So far, you make a pretty damn good Overboss, and it's been fun running with you for the most part." Huffing a bit, Gage looked away again, seeming flustered at sharing so many feelings all at once. "I'm just saying- I'm starting to be glad we teamed up, is all."

Blinking owlishly, Ash wasn't really sure what to say at first. Then, because he lacked any self-control or impulse control whatsoever and never learned from his mistakes, he said the first thing that came to mind. "Me too."

Nodding once, Gage turned away. "Well, now that I got that off my chest, I'm goin' to bed." He announced, clearly still embarrassed. "Gotta get plenty of rest for helpin' your crazy ass clear out the rest of the parks.

Smiling, Ash laughed softly. "Night." He offered, getting a hesitant wave over Gage's shoulder as the older man left quickly. Well, that had been odd. Not bad, though. Not bad despite Ash's best efforts. Tossing aside the sketchbook and pencil that were laying forgotten on his lap, Ash decided to head to bed as well. Before he got snuggled up under his sheets though, he set a timer for the morning, finding, oddly, that he wanted to get up bright and early to get back to work.

The next morning after breakfast and another shower, just because he could, Ash got dressed in his fresh clothes and met Gage halfway to his room. "Ready to go?" He greeted, feeling fresh and ready to conquer the world. Gage looked about the same and gave him a nod.

"Ready."

Nodding, Ash held a small metal device out to Gage. "Put this on."

Frowning in confusion, Gage came closer and took the device. "The fuck is this?" He asked, looking over at Ash.

"It'll let you teleport between Sanctum and Fizztop." Ash explained, hiding his nervousness well. It was a big deal for him, trusting someone with free access to him home. If Gage rejected his offer, Ash wasn't sure how he'd react, but he knew it wouldn't be good.

Looking surprised, Gage looked back down at the device in his hand and, after a bit more consideration, put it on. "Thanks, I guess." He muttered, sounding very much like he didn't know how to react.

Letting out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding, Ash nodded once. "Feel free to relay back and forth whenever." He said, wanting to make certain the gravity of the gesture wasn't lost on Gage. When the older man looked at him and nodded, Ash felt it indeed wasn't. Triggering the relay he had ready to go on his Pip-Boy, Ash appeared in Fizztop Grille and watched as a few seconds later, Gage materialized beside him.

"Before we get going today, I was thinking I'd like to see this market I've heard about." Ash said, looking over at Gage as they boarded the lift.

"Yeah, alright. It'll probably be good for the traders to get their first real look at the new overboss." Gage replied, slipping effortlessly back into routine after the rollercoaster in Sanctum just like the last time. Ash aspired to at least be able to **appear** so emotionally stable.

On the way to the market, Ash got some surprisingly chipper passing greetings from the Disciples he walked past and used that as motivation to pointedly ignore the other two gangs. He was not about to start this day off by stabbing someone. Upon entering the market, Ash saw the first stall looked something like a bar and walked up to it.

"Hey, hey! It's the baddest man in Nuka-Town!" The man behind the bar said, surprising Ash with his positive attitude and the sheer amount of energy behind the greeting. "What can I get for you, my friend?"

"Just browsing." Ash replied, leaving the stall after the trader turned his attention to his other patrons. Well, that was a good start. The next trader Ash stopped in front of didn't look as energetic or happy though.

"Oh! Uh, hello, boss!" The trader greeted, clearly very nervous to be talking to Ash. "Congratulations on taking out Colter. I'm, uh- sure you'll do great." She said, her tone not conveying the sentiment.

"I don't need your vote of confidence." Ash said coldly, put-off by this one.

"Right, of course. Sorry I'm so nervous, I didn't mean any disrespect, boss. I just don't know where I stand with you and I don't wanna end up pissing you off." She said quickly, fidgeting nervously. "That- and, well- I'd be lying if I said we weren't all wondering how you plan to run the place." The trader said, her voice coming out more steady towards the end. "I mean, this is your show now, you can do anything you want. You can run Nuka-World just like Colter, business as usual. _Or_\- you could, uh- well, you know- get rid of the raiders if you don't exactly agree with how they're running the place." She practically whispered the last part and Ash almost admired the amount of absolute nerve this one had considering Gage was _right_ there and there was no way he didn't hear her even if he was trying to look like he wasn't paying attention.

That didn't stop him from laughing though, laughing and looking at her like she'd lost her mind. "Seriously? I've already cleared out one park for the raiders, do you really think I'm just gonna flush all that hard work for- for what? For you? For the other traders?" Laughing again, Ash shook his head. "No, you're shit outta luck, lady, I like my new job."

"Okay, okay, I get it, boss!" The trader said, clearly startled by Ash's outburst. "Just take it easy, there's no need to get angry. Just forget I said anything, okay?" She said, trying for a smile and moving on quickly now that she'd been shot down. "Anyway, I'm the closest thing to a doctor around here. I treat everyone, raider, trader, and traveler alike. Got some medical supplies too, if you're looking for those."

"Oh, totally. I mean, it's not like you just told me to my face that you harbor dreams of a rebellion, why wouldn't I trust you with my injuries?" Ash asked sarcastically, shaking his head. "Watch yourself. I catch wind of you talking rebellion again, I'll give you to one of the gangs." He threatened, leaving before the trader could say anything.

"Not bad, boss." Gage muttered to him, following close behind him.

Humming, Ash came to the next stall and found another nervous looking trader.

"Hey, boss." She greeted, voice coming out fairly friendly despite her obvious nerves. "Gotta admit, it was good to see Colter go down. He scared the hell out of me, gave me nightmares." The trader confided, smiling at Ash a bit like she thought sharing that would mean something.

Finding this one even funnier than the last one, Ash found himself laughing again. "You don't know what fear is, not yet." He said, shaking his head a bit and tilting it just right so the trader got a decent look at his bright eyes. "Your nightmares aren't over, they've only just begun."

Swallowing, the trader looked like she might piss herself. "R-right, of course. Sorry, boss." She shuddered out, clearly trying hard to calm down as she moved right on to her sale's pitch. "Well, I'm sure you've got more important stuff to do than talk to me. Or were you here to pick something up?" Not a great sale's pitch, but it got the point across.

"Just making the rounds." Ash said, leaving the trader and moving on.

"Did you do try that shit with any of the leaders?" Gage asked quietly once they were a few steps away from the last trader.

"No." Ash responded, glancing at Gage. "Do you think it would've worked?"

"Shit, might've." Gage muttered, going back to looking disinterested and distant as they stopped in front of the last trader on their route.

"Well, well, look who it is." He sneered, Ash feeling a strong and immediate dislike for this one. "Are you here to grace my humble market stand with your presence, oh great boss, sir?" The trader asked sarcastically, unaware of how close he was to getting his shit wrecked.

"I'd reel that fucking attitude in if I were you before I decorate this market with your intestines." Ash said coldly, patience vanishing instantly.

"Sorry. I know you didn't ask for this. It's just hard not to be bitter, you know?" The trader said, apparently trying to gain Ash's sympathy now. "We do all the work, then the gangs reap the rewards. Pretty sweet setup, at least for you." He said bitterly, having no way of knowing yet that Ash could literally not care less. "But I guess it doesn't really matter what I think, does it? As long as I'm wearing this collar, I'm no better than a slave." Oh. Well, maybe he did know.

Letting out a harsh bark of laughter, Ash sneered at the trader despite his mask. "No, a slave knows their fucking place. You're a malcontent piece of waste **whining** because you're too **weak** to fuck with the big dogs." Ash snarled, drawing his knife. "Now, again, and this is gonna be your last fucking warning, I would shut the fuck up and show a little fucking respect if I were you."

"Fine." The trader bit out, decidedly not intimidated. "I've said all I wanted to say anyway." He said, letting out a little sound something like a sigh of relief. "Now, if you need guns or ammo, I'm the one you talk to. And before you ask, yeah, everyone pays, even you." The trader informed, condescending tone pushing Ash over the edge.

"That's it!" Ash announced, hopping onto the counter between himself and the mouthy trader and tackling the older man. He used the man's moment of shock to pin him down with his legs and force his mouth open with his hands, holding his knife between his teeth. Ash crammed his fingers into the trader's mouth and caught his tongue, digging his nails in hard and pulling it out as far as he could. When the trader snapped out of his daze and realized what was happening, he started to struggle, but Ash didn't particularly care how much of the trader he damaged while getting at his tongue.

Grabbing his knife, Ash shoved the weapon into the struggling man's mouth and sliced off his tongue as close to the root as he could get it. Thanks to the trader's struggling, that resulted in his mouth and face getting rather cut up and even a few of his teeth getting knocked loose, but that was just fine by Ash. Finally getting off the man, Ash stood up and threw the tongue on the ground, stomping on it and grinding it into a bloody pulp under his boot.

"Hope you enjoyed your talking privileges while they lasted, bitch!" Ash shouted over the pained whining coming from the man below him. Lifting his boot, Ash wiped the bloody tongue-pulp off on the trader's chest and spun around, storming off and leaving him to writhe in the dirt. So much for not starting the day off by stabbing someone. That fucker had deserved it, though!

As Ash left the market, Gage finally caught up with him, having been staring in shock at the scene he'd left in his wake for awhile before snapping out of it. "Sure know how to make a point, boss." He mumbled, tone a mix of uncertain and impressed.

Deciding to take that as a compliment, Ash gave a shrug. "I warned him twice."

"Yeah, you sure did." Gage agreed, sighing lightly. "Which park we clearing today?"

Smiling and appreciating once again Gage's ability to just get right back into it, Ash glanced at the man over his shoulder. "I was thinking of doing the Bottling Plant today."

"Sounds good, boss." Gage said, following Ash as they made their way to their destination. Not even noon and Ash had already mutilated someone, what a way to start a day.


	14. N-W: Bottling Plant & Safari Adventure

Chapter Specific Characters: Porter Gage, Cito

* * *

The walk to the Bottling Plant was considerably less eventful than everything that had led up to it. Once both men arrived, Ash stopped at the Nuka Quantum river leading into the World of Refreshment ride and frowned. There were the telltale signs of a mirelurk infestation outside the entrance of the tunnel so they'd need to head inside and clear those out before trying to claim the park. As Gage stepped into the glowing river without even flinching, Ash cringed.

"I _really_ don't wanna step in that." He muttered, looking at the river in disgust.

"You're wearin' thigh-high boots, boss! You ain't gonna get wet!" Gage argued, glaring up at Ash. Even the Operators weren't so uppity that they wouldn't wade through some soda to get a job done.

Scowling, Ash pondered Gage's point and sighed eventually. "You're right." He muttered, taking his pack off and sliding off his coat next. Ash folded it and stuffed it into his pack before putting his pack back on and when he saw Gage looking at him questioningly, he shrugged. "The hem is low on me, I don't want it to drag."

Sighing, Gage shook his head and turned away, choosing to not respond and simply waiting for Ash to step gingerly into the river. Despite not being able to feel it past his boots, Ash cringed, but he got over it quickly enough and entered the ride. After about three steps, the ancient sensors in the ride picked up movement and started blaring their prerecorded message. Ash cringed anew and glared around at the ride.

"Could they have made it any louder?" He grumbled in annoyance, sighing and getting a molotov cocktail ready from the compartment in his pack he kept them in. He could already see nests and there was no better way to get rid of a mirelurk nest than to fucking burn it.

"Right?" Gage agreed, seeing what Ash had in his hand and taking several steps back. No thank you, not today.

Lighting the cocktail, Ash tossed it at the nest and all of the eggs burst with a series of satisfying pops that could barely be heard over the shrieking woman informing them about Nuka-Cola over the speakers. The next nests were guarded by a mirelurk with a lovely blue glow to it. After using his shotgun to deal with the creature and burning the nests, Ash admired the corpse. "Think they glow like that cuz of the soda?"

"Seems likely." Gage replied, still hanging back since the ride was full of nests and Ash seemed to have a limitless supply of molotovs. How did he even store so many of them in his pack? It wasn't that big. It seemed like it fit anything Ash needed it to inside. Was it some kind of Institute technology?

As Ash took out another mirelurk and nest all on his own, he glanced back at Gage. "You seem distracted." He called over the shouting on the speakers.

Snapping out of it his pondering, Gage shook his head at Ash. "Just staying out of your way, boss. You're pretty reckless with those explosives." He half-lied, his excuse making Ash nod. He **had** been distracted, but Ash also **was** reckless with those molotovs. It was surprising that the unhinged teen wasn't at least getting a little burned. Still, when the next mirelurk that popped up was of a stronger variety, Gage pitched in and tried to help more from that point on.

There wasn't much talking after that as Ash and Gage killed mirelurks and Ash burned the nests. It wasn't until the end that things changed up a bit as three assaultrons came charging out of the factory area of the building while Ash and Gage were dealing with the last of the mirelurks. With more of his skin exposed than usual, Ash took the bulk of the damage, but he also dealt the majority of the damage, taking out two of the assaultrons while Gage took care of the mirelurks and only getting the older man's help for the last one.

Once the fight ended, Ash stumbled out of the Quantum river and into the back area which was quite a feat considered how the heels of his boots kept trying to slip into the holes in the metal floor. He quickly took care of the turret there and then leaned heavily against some cabinets in the room. Ash kept stimpaks on the leather belts across his chest and on his hips but those were for emergencies, the bulk of them were in his pack. Fishing out a few stimpaks and a single syringe of Med-X, Ash began to patch himself up. He was burned here and there from his reckless use of molotovs, but he'd been dealing with those fairly easily by ignoring them; what had really fucked him up was his exposed side getting grazed by one of the assaultrons head beams.

Stabbing a stimpak directly into the burned area, Ash emptied it into himself and let out a huff of pain as the skin began to heal slowly. Gage caught up with him and shot a stimpak into himself from his own pack, the multiple small cuts he'd gotten on his arms healing fairly quickly. Having an easier time getting at his veins without his heavy coat in the way, Ash shot up with the Med-X and sighed as the pain radiating from his burn subsided.

"Fucking assaultrons." Ash muttered, laying his head back against the shelf above the cabinets he was leaning on.

Glancing at Ash's slowly healing side, Gage shook his head lightly. "You're lucky you moved out of the way in time. That shot coulda carved a hole through you." He muttered, glancing at Ash's mostly hidden face when he laughed.

"You know, Gage, I'm starting to think you care about me." Ash said, tilting his hat back a bit so he could look at Gage.

"Don't get your hopes up, you just ain't allowed to die 'til you've restored my reputation." Gage said, a smile playing his lips.

"Rude." Ash muttered, straightening up and finding he wasn't in too much pain to walk. He started to move on but then paused, stopping near Gage and turning to face the older man. "Aren't you afraid of me?" Ash asked suddenly, sounding perplexed. "You tease me, you talk back to me, you needle me, aren't you afraid I'll snap and gut you or something?"

"Is this my first warning?" Gage asked back, raising an eyebrow.

"No."

"Then no." Gage said, looking down at Ash and trying to figure out what the rest of his expression might be based on what he could see of his eyes. "I think you'll tell me if I start to overstep and I'll dial it down, but in the meantime, I don't think you mind havin' someone around who ain't afraid of you." In actuality, Gage in fact **was** _a little_ afraid of Ash. He was impulsive and temperamental and that was a recipe for getting stabbed if he accidentally split the wrong hair, but he also really felt Ash needed someone who wasn't afraid to call him out and question him when he needed it.

Blinking slowly, Ash let out a little hum. "I guess I don't." He mumbled, having not really thought about it up until that point. Turning back around, Ash noticed that the stairs were made of the same metal with the holes in it and when he looked up to check the catwalk, it too was made of that metal. "This is gonna suck." Ash said, looking over with a frown when Gage laughed.

"I told you those boots were a bad idea!" He gloated, going up the stairs and taking the lead in what was definitely meant to be showing off his very practical shoes.

"Screw you, Gage!" Ash shouted back, sighing when all he got was another laugh in response. Well, if he didn't get started, he'd never finish. Trying to keep his weight on the balls of his feet to keep his heels from catching in the holes, Ash climbed the stairs. After another hour of carefully navigating the catwalks and stairways of the Nuka-Cola Bottling Plant, Ash was certain he and Gage had cleared every room. They'd even found a star core and a suspicious secret room that couldn't be opened without power being restored to the whole park.

Outside the Bottling Plant was another turret that Ash got to first. The noise caught the attention of nearby mirelurks and they caught other mirelurks' attention and before long, there was quite the swarm coming for Ash and Gage. Thinking fast, Ash jumped up and caught the edge of the trailer-like roof above him. He hauled himself up and moved out of the way so Gage could follow, both men making it to safety before the swarm could reach them. They might not have made it, but the mirelurks had pointy legs and they caught on the metal floors and ramps even worse than Ash's boots did.

From up on their perch, Ash and Gage were able to pick off the mirelurks from safety. The noise caught the attention of three mirelurk kings in the area though and Ash and Gage had to keep moving to avoid their sonic attacks while shooting at them. Once they had fallen, a deafening roar rang out and they turned to find a mirelurk queen rising form the pond just off the loading dock of the plant.

Ash had never seen a mirelurk king or queen before, he'd only heard of them, so this was quite the day for him. As the queen charged forward, Ash threw off his pack and fished out an armful of frag grenades. He set them back down and motioned at them with his head, grabbing one and ripping the pin free before throwing it as hard as he could at the queen. Gage got the idea and followed Ash's lead, helping him to pelt the queen with grenades.

It seemed like it was working, she was slowing down, but she managed to get close enough to Ash and Gage that the acid loogie she spit at them didn't just land harmlessly on the concrete below them like all the previous ones had. Snatching his pack, Ash dove away in one direction and Gage dove in the other, both men narrowly avoiding the loogie. From this close up, continuing to use grenades would've been the kind of dangerous, stupid thing that only Ash would be okay with, so both he and Gage switched back to using their guns.

Ash found himself the queen's main target since his shotgun was actually doing damage to her and Gage's gun was barely scraping her shell when he missed her soft face. That worked out though since Ash was a nimble little shit and he managed to not get more than spattered by any acid the queen spit at him. Eventually the queen let out an almighty shriek of pain and fell with a loud crash and splatter to the concrete below.

By then the roof Ash and Gage were standing on was covered in acidic puddles that both men had to avoid carefully while trying to get down. Once they were safely on the ground, Ash went about burning all the remaining nests. One last quick perimeter scan showed that the Bottling Plant had been officially cleared of the mirelurk infestation.

"Which way is the flag pole?" Ash asked, looking to Gage and following the older man when he first pointed in the direction and then decided to just lead the way. The way to the flag pole required Ash to do more careful walking along the hole-ridden metal walkways, but he made it. Leaning out of the lift as it brought them up to the top of the giant bottle where he was to plant the flag, Ash surveyed his kingdom. It looked alot smaller from up so high. The lift stopped and Ash walked over to the pole, Gage following behind him.

Shortly after, the Bottling Plant had been officially claimed for the Operators and Ash and Gage were leaving. Ash looked to the sky and then to his Pip-Boy and decided there was still plenty of time left in the day. "Think you got another park in you, Gage?" He asked, already making his way to the next park he'd chosen.

"You know it, boss." Gage responded, flashing Ash a grin when he glanced back at him.

Fishing out some food from his pack while he walked, Ash had his lunch on the way to Safari Adventure, not wanting to stop for it. If the rustling behind him was any indication, Gage was following his lead. It was still fairly cold outside what with spring taking it's sweet time in reclaiming the Commonwealth, so Ash also put his coat back on. Once they made it to Safari Adventure, Ash and Gage were immediately attacked by a herd of weirdly aggressive two-headed buffalo.

They were dispatched easily enough but then a roar caught both men's attention. Looking to the entrance, they saw a decidedly odd sight: a man in a loin-cloth fighting a giant bipedal alligator-esque creature. "That kinda looks like a deathclaw." Ash said to Gage, keeping his voice down so as not to attract the creature's attention.

"It's as mean as a deathclaw." Gage confirmed, looking rigid. "Scouts ain't never made it back from here in one piece."

Cracking a slightly crazed grin, Ash put his shotgun away and took out his knife. "Fun." He breathed, walking forward and catching the creature's attention just as it had the man on the ground. It roared at him and charged and Ash also ran forward, ducking and sliding when the creature leapt at him. Stabbing his knife upwards as the creature flew over him, he managed to use the monster's momentum to gut it, its hot innards landing on top of Ash due to his position.

Rolling over quickly, Ash started sputtering and laughing, trying to wipe what little of his face had gotten bloody off. His hat and mask had mostly protected his face and trying to wipe it off with his very bloody hands really just made it worse. Soon, even the parts of him that hadn't gotten bloody at first were covered in gore.

Running over, Gage looked Ash over and made a sound between a huff of disapproval and a laugh. "Well, that's one way to do it, I guess." He said, sounding begrudgingly impressed.

"I've never done anything like that before." Ash said breathlessly, getting to his feet. "That was awesome!"

Shaking his head at the clearly unwell individual before him, Gage looked over as the loin-cloth man joined them. "Man! Cito see you kill monster. You friend?" He asked, making Gage's brows furrow. The scouts hadn't ever reported this.

Giving the man a slow, appraising look, Ash's grin turned predatory behind his mask. "I could be friendly for you." He practically purred, high on bloodlust and liking the chiseled, half-naked gorilla man before him. He was so distracted that he didn't see the very judgmental look Gage gave him.

"Cito happy have strong friend." Cito replied, oblivious to the real meaning of Ash's words. "You kill monster alone. Monster strong but you stronger. Cito happy you kill monster. Monster hurt Cito and Cito family."

"Are there more monsters that need killing?" Ash asked, staring at Cito's pecs as he talked. Normally Ash wasn't such a douche, but he highly doubted Cito knew enough to mind and the view was honestly insane, definitely too good to pass up.

"Yes! Lots more! Cito kill monster, new monster come. Cito kill monster again, new monster come again." Cito complained, clearly frustrated. "Monsters not stop. Help Cito stop monsters?"

"Oh yeah, for sure." Ash said, finally looking at Cito's face.

"Cito happy you help! New friend follow Cito. Cito show you thing. Thing to help kill monsters." Cito said, picking up his sledgehammer from the ground and beginning to lead the way.

"I'd love to see your thing." Ash muttered, following behind Cito.

"Boss, are we really gonna take help from this guy? He can barely even talk." Gage hissed, keeping pace with Ash so he could talk to him quietly.

"You're just mad that his biceps are bigger than your head." Ash said, glancing at Gage before returning his eyes to the much more pleasant sight of Cito's ass peaking at him occasionally from his loin-cloth.

"Wanting to fuck someone isn't a good reason to trust 'em, boss." Gage grumbled, having never considered that Ash's teenage hormones might be one of the things he'd ever have to deal with.

"Okay. How's this?" Ash said, looking at Gage out of the corner of his eyes so he could keep his main focus on following Cito. "He's clearly lived here for awhile. He knows this park better than anyone. If anyone is going to be able to help us with those big green death machines, it's gonna be him."

As much as he wanted to, Gage couldn't argue with that logic. "Fine." He grumbled, dropping back a bit to retake his customary position behind Ash.

Just as their little argument finished, one of the previously mentioned big green death machines stirred from the slumber it had been taking in their path. Ash wasn't sure at what point he'd gotten enough practice on his heels to be able to run in them like he did, but he darted past Cito and leapt onto the back of the monster just as it was standing up to roar at them. It tried to reach up and swipe at him, but it wasn't quite flexible enough and Ash was able to get to it's neck far easier than it could get at him. Knife sailing effortlessly through the thinner scales on the beast's neck, Ash plunged the blade in deep and threw himself back and to the side, bringing his knife with him and slitting the creature's throat so deep that its head was only still attached thanks to its spine.

Rolling a bit as he hit the ground, Ash sat up just in time to watch the monster fall. It gurgled a bit and died and Ash stood up, panting a bit. When he looked over at Gage and Cito, their expressions made him laugh. Gage looked impressed and pissed and maybe a few other emotions that Ash was probably just imagining and Cito was looking at him like he was a god. Picking up his hat, which had rolled off when he'd hit the ground, Ash walked over. Cito flashed Ash a huge grin before continuing to lead the way and Gage simply followed behind Ash as he followed Cito.

The remaining walk was a short one and Ash soon found himself surrounded by four huge gorillas. "This home. This family." Cito announced, turning to his family and starting to make ape-like noises at them. "No worry, they not hurt you. You friend Cito mean you friend family." Cito explained, smiling at Ash.

"I see where you get your bulging muscles from." Ash said, decidedly uncomfortable around the huge primates. "Good to know it's genetic."

The sarcasm went over Cito's head and he simply smiled. "New friend talk funny." He said, becoming serious quickly. "Now you help Cito. Family in danger. Hide here from monsters. Here only place safe." Cito explained, Ash phasing the rest out while his eyes traveled Cito. It was gonna be a fucking shame having to kill this fine specimen.

When Cito stopped talking, Ash realized he hadn't been listening. Panicking briefly, Ash just blurted out something. "So where exactly should I get started?" He asked, hoping that his question hadn't been answered by the parts he hadn't been paying attention to.

"Cito maybe know." Cito said, not noticing the relieved breath Ash puffed out. "Cito have story. Story help stop monsters. Cito eat with family. Wrinkly man come inside home. Wrinkly man hurt. Cito try help." He recounted, Ash having to really focus on Cito's words and not his abs. "Wrinkly man say he make monsters! Cito mad at wrinkly man. Monsters hurt family. Wrinkly man sorry monsters hurt family. He give Cito shiny thing. He say shiny thing help Cito stop monsters. Cito try help more but wrinkly man die. Cito keep shiny thing." Cito reached into a nearby trashcan and pulled out a holotape handing it over to Ash. "Now Cito give new friend shiny thing. Help Cito."

Putting the holotape into his Pip-Boy, Ash pressed play and waited impatiently for it to end. He learned the creatures were called gatorclaws and that they were being infinitely replicated in a facility that Ash would need to shut down if he wanted to claim the park for a gang. "Sounds like I need to find that cloning device and shut it down." Ash said, looking over at Gage and discreetly tossing the holotape over his shoulder.

"Maybe you should ask Cito about it." Gage said sarcastically, feeling the bitter sting of instant regret when Ash nodded.

"Good idea, Gage." He said, walking over to Cito. "Do you know where wrinkly man came from?"

Nodding eagerly, Cito stood up to face Ash properly, which still backfired since he was at least a foot taller than Ash. "Yes! Cito see wrinkly man come from big triangle house long time ago." He said, sounding pleased to be helping. "Go to big triangle house. Stop monsters. Cito come with new friend. Cito help!"

Decidedly liking the idea of getting to look at Cito while he worked, Ash nodded. "Sure, you can cum with me all you want, Cito." He said, hearing Gage groan from the door he'd been waiting beside.

"Cito strong. Cito help new friend!" Cito said excitedly, the true meaning of Ash's words going over his head yet again.

Not particularly minding that Cito was so oblivious, Ash left the primate house with the huge man following close behind him. Gage trailed behind, clearly annoyed by Ash's decision to let Cito come along but refusing to let Ash get out of his sight. If he let Ash wander off with Cito, there was no telling what the teen might do to the ape man. It wasn't as though Gage was worried about Cito, or that he cared, it was just that he wanted to have the park cleared by the end of the day if possible, not in the morning, or in a few days, or however long later it would be when Ash finished with Cito.

On the way to the big triangle house, the trio came across another gatorclaw and this time Cito managed to help Ash kill it. When Ash ran forward and slid under the gatorclaw with the intention to gut it like the first one, Cito also ran forward and swung his hammer at its jaw. The hit was actually hard enough that the gatorclaw moved to the side some, messing up Ash's aim and getting his knife caught in one of it's bones. Cito had it covered though, the ape man bringing his hammer down on the monster's head and popping it like a watermelon.

Laughing a bit as he was spattered with gator brains, Ash yanked hard on his knife and managed to dislodge it from the dead beast. "I think this park is my favorite so far." He announced, continuing on their path despite the mildly annoyed look Gage was giving him. When they arrived in front of a house with a large triangular skylight, Cito spoke up.

"This big triangle house. It have door Cito never open." He said, pointing at the building.

Walking into the building, Ash glanced around, a feral grin spreading under his mask as he saw the gatorclaw lumbering on the lower level. It saw them too and before Gage could catch him, as valiantly as he tried, Ash was jumping over the railing and onto the gatorclaw. He plummeted from the second floor knife extended and buried the arm-length blade in the gatorclaw's head. They both fell, the gatorclaw dead and Ash atop it's back with a low "oof".

Running down the stairs, Gage stopped in front of the gatorclaw and sighed in relief when he saw the teen was okay. It was one thing for Ash to go charging towards the massive beasts, even when it involved him fucking jumping atop them, but Gage truly hated it when Ash jumped from things. Noticing Ash's hat had fallen off during the jump, Gage picked it up but stopped just short of giving it back to him. Without the hat, Gage could see Ash's eyes with his massive fucking pupils.

"Jesus Christ, boss, you look higher than a fuckin' cloud." Gage mumbled, finally handing the hat over and helping Ash get off the gatorclaw's back.

"I feel high." Ash breathed, a smile clear in his voice. "It's been too long since I've killed something fun like this." He said, motioning at the dead beast. "Robots and mirelurks aren't a substitute for something that really bleeds."

"Right." Gage muttered, watching as Ash unsuccessfully tried to pull his knife from the gatorclaw's skull. Maybe he was a little more than _a little_ afraid of Ash.

"New friend good at killing monsters." Cito complimented, coming over and dislodging Ash's knife effortlessly before handing it back to him.

"Thank you, Cito." Ash said, tone delighted as he took his knife back. He then spun around and started checking the building for the door Cito had mentioned. There was only one other door in the building, so it wasn't hard to find, but Cito still felt the need to confirm that this was indeed the door when Ash stopped in front of it.

"This door Cito not know how to open."

Feeling a light twinge of annoyance at the obvious comment, Ash said nothing and instead checked the terminal, figuring out quickly that the reason the door wouldn't open was because of a security alert. He needed a password to lift the lockdown, but it appeared that the person who had the password had been kidnapped. _Because of fucking course they had_. Luckily, or conveniently, the ransom note told Ash where to go. Well, sort of.

Backing away from the terminal, Ash looked at Cito. "Do you know what the Angry Anaconda is?" He asked, figuring Cito was his best bet.

"Sound like name of snake from old zoo." Cito said, looking thoughtful and then excited. "Oh! Maybe we need giant metal snake!"

"Do you know where it's at?" Ash asked, shooting Gage a look that he couldn't quite see but that he imagined was quite smug.

"Yes! Cito know! It big- what word? "Ride". Ride like big snake. Cito see from **everywhere**. Very big. Very snakey." Cito confirmed, nodding happily. "It up hill behind zoo."

"Thank you very much, Cito, you're very helpful." Ash thanked, lightly patting Cito's cheek and getting a pleased grunt from the man.

"Cito help! Cito like help new friend." He said happily, making Ash feel a little bad about his plan to murder Cito and his family once he was done being useful.

On the way to the area behind the zoo, the trio managed to catch the attention of six gatorclaws and a yao guai. Ash took out the bulk of them, of course, but Cito helped. Gage for his part tried to help, but his gun simply didn't do very much damage against the gatorclaws' tough skin. In between unintentionally coating every part of his body in gatorclaw guts, Ash made a mental note to get Gage a better gun. The one he had worked fine for turrets, and probably people, but anything stronger than a robot seemed beyond it.

The moment Ash passed the threshold of an old, broken gate with an "employees only" sign on it, Cito spoke up excitedly. "This it! This big metal snake!"

Before the temptation to say something snarky could truly take hold of Ash, there were three separate roars up ahead. Grinning, Ash twirled his knife in his hand and waited until the first gatorclaw crested the hill before he charged. As it leapt for him, Ash simply knelt with his knife above his head, letting the gatorclaw's momentum gut it yet again. Getting a fresh coat of blood and guts made Ash giggle softly even as he had to flatten himself against the ground to keep from getting whipped by the beast's flailing tail.

Cito and Gage were taking care of another gatorclaw so that only left the last one. As Ash stood up, he heard stomping behind himself and jumped out of the way in time to get lightly gashed across his back but nothing worse. He didn't even really feel the pain yet since his adrenaline was going so hard, so Ash turned to face the gatorclaw, ready to take it down.

Suddenly one of the monster's eyes exploded courtesy of a bullet and the beast roared while Gage took aim for another soft spot. Cito was barely pulling his sledgehammer from the dead gatorclaw's rib cage so this one was all Gage and Ash. Running up to the gatorclaw while it flailed and Gage took shots at it's thinner belly and neck scales, Ash jumped onto it's back. When it reared back to bellow out another roar, Ash stuck his knife horizontally in its mouth and grabbed the tip, using all his strength to yank the knife down.

There was a sickening crack as Ash broke the gatorclaw's jaw at the hinge and carved a decent way down before he lost his grip on the tip of his knife and it slid free. The gatorclaw fell and Ash quickly got out of the way as Cito charged forward to smash its head in. When Ash tried to stand, he ended up swaying a bit and dropping beside the dead beast, the blood loss from his back gash making him light-headed.

"Shit, you alright, boss?" Gage called, running over to Ash but not able to see the problem due to the amount of blood and gore Ash was covered in. For someone who didn't even want to wade through ankle-deep soda, he sure didn't seem to mind being _absolutely soaked_ in blood.

"It scratched me." Ash huffed, managing to sit up enough to get his pack and coat off. "It fuckin' hurts."

Able to see the scratch on Ash's lower back now that his coat was out of the way, Gage got a can of water from his own pack and poured it over the wound. Once he could see it without all the blood, he could see it was pretty deep as well as long and quite jagged. Looking up, Gage saw that Ash was holding a stimpak over his shoulder for him and took it, having been about to ask for one. He applied it and straightened up, pouring the rest of the can of water over his hands. "Doesn't look too bad, it'll heal up in no time."

"Thank you, Doctor Gage." Ash said sarcastically, actually laughing when Gage kicked him. "Insubordination! I'll have your head for that!" He declared, getting to his feet and checking the rip on his coat. "This is gonna take forever to stitch up." Ash muttered, sighing and putting his blood-soaked coat back on along with his backpack.

"You're just lucky it didn't get you any deeper. I don't think there's enough stims on the planet to heal a severed spine." Gage said, following Ash as he walked over to some nearby trailers.

"I welcome death too readily to actually die." Ash informed, crouching to pick a lock and opening the trailer door when he cracked it easily. Gage didn't respond and Ash didn't look over to see the frown he gave him. Poking around the trailer, Ash let out a triumphant sound and held up a holotape.

"You find shiny thing! Shiny thing help?" Cito asked from the door, making both men jump due to how quietly he'd been hanging around while they bantered.

"It's got "password" written on it, so I think so, yes." Ash responded, exiting the trailer with his companions and making his way back to the Welcome Center. He entered the password into the terminal and pressed on the door, grinning when it actually came open. "That did it." Ash declared, leading the way down into the depths of the Welcome Center in search of the cloning machine.

"Cito never been here." Cito informed, his obvious comments having gone from somewhat endearing to annoying over the course of the few hours he'd been a part of the team. Ash suddenly wasn't feeling as bad about his plan for Cito.

After coming down some stairs, Ash heard stomping in the next room and drew his knife. As the trio entered the room, the gatorclaw noticed them, but it was three against one so the gatorclaw didn't stand much of a chance even if it was a massive muscle monster. As Ash poked around the room for loot and anything that might be useful to their current mission, Gage checked out the machinery all around them.

"I may not know what any of this shit does, but I know if it's shiny, it's worth somethin'." Gage said, tapping one of the consoles with the tip of his gun a few times.

"I'm sure the gang I assign here'll have a field day stripping the joint." Ash said, moving on to the next room.

"Are you sure we should be discussing that in front of you-know-who?" Gage hissed, jogging up to Ash in order to talk to him quietly.

"I highly doubt he understands what I said, Gage." Ash replied quietly, sighing as he heard another gatorclaw in the room they had just entered. Much to Gage's surprise, Ash put his knife away and drew his shotgun. It had been fun at first, but Ash was slowly growing annoyed with the amount of gatorclaws that needed killing. It was an infestation and it was honestly ridiculous.

There turned out to be two gatorclaws in the room, one of which was considerably bigger than all the others and a pinkish-white color instead of the usual green on green. Soon they were both dead though and Ash was shutting down the cloning device via the terminal nearby. The moment he did, two more gatorclaws ran down a tunnel from the next room and they had to be dealt with as well. It was finally done though and then the only thing left to do was check the rest of the park for any remaining gatorclaws.

After a very thorough two-hour long sweep of the whole park, it was officially free of gatorclaws, rats, and yao guai. The only other thing left to deal with was Cito and his family. Ash led the way to the primate house and took his pack off once he arrived. "Alright, Cito. The park is officially free of all monsters." He announced, rifling around in his pack. "So, if you wouldn't mind, I need you to tell your family something for me."

Nodding, Cito walked over to the gorillas and made some noises to get their attention. "Cito ready." He informed, tilting his head a bit as Ash fished five mines and his camera from his pack.

Leaning back so he was closer to Gage, Ash lowered his voice to a whisper. "Wait for me outside, this is gonna get messy."

"Not mines again." Gage whispered harshly, sighing when Ash shot him a look and leaving the primate house.

Slinging his pack back on, Ash held up one of the mines. "This is a gift. You and your family each get one. I need you to tell them not to press the button in the middle until I say to so you can all enjoy the surprise at the same time." He informed, tone as friendly as it had ever been. Ash watched Cito make noises at his family and once Cito gave him a nod, Ash handed out the mines, priming them as he did. Next, Ash took a quick picture of Cito and then backed up to the door of the primate house. "Alright. Go ahead and tell them to press the buttons." He said, watching as Cito did as he said and then he and the gorillas pressed the activation buttons on the mines.

Not waiting for the explosion as he didn't want to be caught in it, Ash hurried out of the primate house and then several meters away to where Gage was waiting. It wasn't long after that there was a big explosion that blew the doors off the primate house. After the dust settled, Ash walked over to make sure Cito and his family were all dead and was treated to a room painted by charred blood and guts.

"Well, that takes care of that." Ash muttered, stepping aside so Gage could see when he came over and taking a few pictures since he already had his camera out.

Whistling at the carnage, Gage shook his head. "You sure got a flare for dramatics, boss. We coulda shot 'em."

"Where's the fun in that?" Ash asked, walking off to the flagpole so he could assign a gang. "We were friends, after all. I'd feel bad not killing a friend in a special way."

"Remind me not to get too attached to you, boss." Gage replied only half sarcastically, watching the Pack's colors raise up the pole and blow in a light breeze.

"And here I thought you already were attached." Ash said sarcastically, suddenly slumping. "I need a fucking shower. I'm so sticky."

Letting out a bark of laughter, Gage shook his head. "Well if you wouldn't have gutted most of those gatorclaws while they were standing above you, you wouldn't be covered in gator guts!"

"Helpful! Thank you!" Ash replied, tone still somewhat playful despite the fact that he was gross and tired and ready to call it a day. "Seriously though, I'm heading back to Sanctum." Gage gave him a nod and Ash triggered a relay. He'd gotten his mask, hat, pack, and coat off and was halfway to the stairs that would take him to his room when there was a flash behind him and Ash looked back curiously to see Gage had triggered a relay of his own.

"Figured I could probably use a shower too." Gage said, following Ash up the stairs since his room wasn't far from Ash's. "The ones here beat a bucket of river water any day."

"Sure do." Ash agreed, tone coming out neutral even though he was secretly thrilled that Gage had chosen to join him without needing a direct invitation. The two men parted ways at Ash's room and it suddenly occurred to the teen how happy he was. Frowning, Ash found himself annoyed with himself. Why was he so happy to have Gage around? He was _barely_ crushing on him and didn't believe for a second that **that **was the reason.

Then, like a slap to the face, it hit Ash. He'd been lonely since he woke up and Gage was the first person he'd found that he genuinely liked. He didn't just like him for his love of murder like Pickman or Nisha, or think of him as his most entertaining subordinate like H1-87, he genuinely liked Gage. Ash suddenly realized that he'd been the one to grow attached, not Gage, suddenly realized he thought of Gage as a friend.

What a way to end the day.

* * *

While I am fully aware that Cito's loin-cloth covers his ass in the actual game, I have taken the liberty to ignore that fact and pretend the loin-cloth has a more traditional, more revealing cut to it because both Ash and I deserve to be able to ogle ape-man ass without Bethesda censoring our fun.


	15. N-W: Dry Rock Gulch & Kiddie Kingdom

Chapter Specific Characters: Porter Gage, Oswald the Outrageous

* * *

After a long, hot, thorough shower, Ash dried off and got dressed. He'd spent the shower thinking about his situation and hadn't come to any helpful conclusions. There wasn't exactly anything he could do about having become attached since he still needed Gage. He wasn't even sure if he wanted to do anything about it. Maybe it was okay to have a friend even if Gage only saw him as his path to redemption. That had basically been Ash's entire shower and he apparently wasn't quite finished cycling through the same three thoughts.

Deciding he needed to do something before he drove himself crazy, and since it wasn't quite late enough to sleep, Ash got out some things from his pack and then sent it off to be cleaned and organized. When Ash had first realized he'd need to patch up his coat, he'd been dreading it, but then he got trapped in his own head and had started to look forward to the relaxing, if tedious, task. **Then** he remembered the synths who cleaned his clothes always patched up any damage done to them and gave up on the idea of relaxing at all for awhile.

Luckily, Ash had picked up some things that he'd been meaning to tinker with and since he was having a "no rest allowed" kind of evening, it was the perfect time to get around to it. The first thing Ash needed to do was bulletproof a second hazmat suit. He'd found it in the Galactic Zone and figured having a second suit on hand would be helpful especially since he traveled with Gage now. Whether or not Gage carried around his own hazmat suit, Ash was fairly certain it wouldn't be bulletproofed since ballistic fiber wasn't exactly easy to come across and Gage didn't seem like the supply hoarding type.

It only took a couple hours thanks to Ash having his makeshift workshop on hand and already having some experience in bulletproofing an entire hazmat suit. The next thing Ash got up to was modding the crap out of a stronger gun for Gage. From what Ash could see, Gage used a gun common in Nuka-World and it wasn't exactly weak, but the one Ash had come across was better. He'd gotten quite good at modding thanks to his want to make his shotgun as destructive as possible so it only took an hour or so to make Gage's new gun as good as it was going to get.

Once Ash finished, he took a step back from his workshop and sighed lightly. That had helped. Now it was nice and late and he was tired. Hungry too though. He'd need to get a snack before he could head to bed. Grabbing the hazmat suit and gun, which he had named "Hellfire" to match the theme he had going with his own weapons, Ash turned and nearly dropped both when he found Gage leaning in the doorway to his "workshop", looking quite comfortable with his arms crossed over his chest and everything, and smiling an odd little smile.

"You sure do get lost in your work, boss." He said, moving after Ash had finished glaring at him and continued on his new mission to leave the room. Colter had been the same way; getting lost in tinkering with his power armor for hours. Gage had liked watching him work too in the beginning, before it had become the **only** thing Colter was interested in doing.

"How long have you been watching me like a fucking creep?" Ash asked, setting the hazmat suit on a table and turning to look at Gage.

"'Bout halfway through the suit, I think." Gage responded, seeming unoffended by Ash calling him a creep. "I like watching you work."

"Clearly." Ash muttered, not mad, just perplexed. "Did you need something from me?"

"Yeah. I came to tell you that after you assign a gang to a park, they'll prolly get a tribute chest set up pretty quick. You can drop by every now and again and see what they've scrounged up for you." Gage informed, moving closer to the doorway as he spoke.

"You watched me work for like two hours just to tell me that?" Ash asked, raising an eyebrow at the older man.

Shrugging, Gage hovered in the doorway, getting ready to leave. "Didn't wanna interrupt you. You looked like you were concentratin'."

Frowning, Ash almost let Gage leave before he snapped his fingers and hurried over to the man. "Hey." He called, holding the gun out to Gage. "I made you a better gun. The one you have kinda sucks."

"Oh." Gage said, blinking in surprise and slowly taking the gun. "Well, uh, thanks, boss." He muttered uncertainly, looking the gun over and getting to see Ash's handiness up close. It looked good, solid, almost professional. Ash really was good with his hands. Then Gage noticed the name carved carefully into the butt of the gun and it made him smile a bit. Ash was also kinda weird. Good with his hands, but weird.

Ignoring the thanks and the happy little fluttering feeling it gave him, Ash went fishing around in his freshly cleaned and organized pack and created a huge stack of ammo boxes that he then brought over. "I also happened to be hoarding ammo for it." He informed, cracking a light smile when Gage looked up and choked on nothing before breaking into laughter at the absurdly large size of the stack.

"How the hell does all that shit fit in your backpack?" Gage asked, slinging the gun over his shoulder before taking the stack from Ash.

Shrugging, Ash fought down a smile. "Witchcraft." He answered seriously, getting a shake of Gage's head in response.

"Yeah, alright." Gage sighed, deciding he wasn't going to get a straight answer from Ash and he'd just have to keep wondering. "I'm gonna figure out how to fit all this shit in my pack and then I'm headin' to bed."

"Night." Ash said, getting another odd little smile and a nod before Gage left. It suddenly occurred to Ash that saying "goodnight" to someone might be archaic like so many of the other little gestures and mannerisms he had. Maybe that's why Gage never said it back. Or maybe it was weird to have your boss tell you goodnight. Ash suddenly realized he hadn't lived long enough in either this world or the pre-war one to be socially competent.

Sighing, Ash had a quick snack before brushing his teeth and heading to bed. He once again set an alarm on his Pip-Boy before setting it back down on the nightstand beside his bed. Maybe he'd ask Gage in the morning which part was more weird: getting a "goodnight" at all or getting a "goodnight" from his boss. Probably not though. That sounded like an awkward conversation to have.

The next morning after breakfast, Ash and Gage relayed back to Nuka-World and Ash set a course for Dry Rock Gulch. The moment they crossed the threshold into the park, Ash and Gage were beset by bloodworms. Funnily enough, it was actually a little fun. Like a game of whack-a-mole, except it was more like shoot-a-worm.

A little ways into the park, Ash spotted a protectron with a cowboy hat and raised an eyebrow. This had to be good. Like Safari Adventure and the Bottling Plant, he'd never been to Dry Rock Gulch when it was operational, so he didn't have any idea what to expect. Ash walked up the protectron and the moment it started talking, he knew he wouldn't be able to handle actually participating in whatever "fun-filled" activity it had for him; it talked _so slowly_.

"Hope y'all are having a good day here at Nuka-World. Ready to saddle up and ride into the old wild west?" The protectron greeted, Ash shaking his head and walking around the robot. He found a port and plugged his Pip-Boy into it, gaining access to the administrative commands and selecting an option. "Employee manual login recognized. Currently running in full park exhibition mode. Visitors are-" Rolling his eyes, Ash forced the protectron to talk faster. It made it harder to understand, but Ash got the important details.

Three activities. Combination. Safe. Key to ride. An infested ride.

After getting the gist of what he needed to do, Ash unplugged his Pip-Boy and paused to examine the clothes the robot tried to give him. In the end, and much to Gage's silent amusement, Ash took them. He and Gage carved a path through the bloodworms that popped up from the ground to try and maim them. At one point, a bloodworm popped up right under Gage and before he could even aim his gun down to kill it, Ash was giving it a face-full of scattershot.

Giving Ash a wide-eyed look didn't do more than make Ash grin. Or that's what Gage assumed he was doing behind his mask. He was getting pretty good at deciphering the little movements of Ash's face to figure out what kind of expression he was making. It helped that he had so much practice with the Disciples. Reading Ash's face under his mask was downright easy compared to reading through one of their masks. "I'd be real grateful if you could resist the urge to aim that thing between my legs again, boss." Gage said, frowning more when Ash laughed.

"Don't worry, Gage, I wouldn't pull the trigger if I thought I might hit you." Ash promised, reloading his shotgun. "We still need eachother, after all. I wouldn't risk mutilating you."

"If you say so." Gage muttered, not quite convinced but dropping it when Ash didn't say anything more and simply kept going.

They came across another robot after dealing with two huge, hyper-aggressive crickets and it started talking immediately, just as slow as the last one. "Oh thank goodness, it's the new deputy! You-" Before the robot could finish, Ash walked around it and hacked it like the last one. "Employee manual login recognized. Exhibition bypass protocol engaged. Handing over part three of this week's safe combination." And then it did, Ash snatching the piece of paper from the robot and moving on. He was really beginning to fucking hate robots.

When Ash found the next robot, he didn't give it a chance to engage in dialogue with him. He slipped behind the counter it was standing behind and hacked it before it could turn around to start talking. "Employee manual login recognized. Exhibition bypass protocol engaged. Handing over part two of this week's safe combination." Snatching the paper again, Ash left the saloon. This was what passed for entertainment in the old world. No wonder people had resorted to dropping bombs on eachother.

A few more bloodworm attacks later and Ash was hacking the final robot to get the final part of the code. "Employee manual login recognized. Exhibition bypass protocol engaged. Handing over part one of this week's safe combination." Snatching the final piece of paper, Ash made his way to the safe and entered the combination. Taking the key from inside, Ash led the way to the minecart ride, only knowing where it was because he'd spotted it while bypassing the last activity.

Shooting bloodworms along the way, Ash and Gage made their way to Mad Mulligan's Minecart Coaster and Ash unlocked the door. The duo split up once inside only because Gage started to keep moving and Ash got distracted. When Gage realized Ash wasn't with him anymore, he turned to see the teen stuffing something in his backpack. Then he noticed the naked animatronic a ways behind Ash that **had** been wearing an appropriately themed outfit when they'd walked in.

"Did you just take those clothes?" Gage asked, a note of amusement coloring his confused voice.

Pausing in his stuffing, Ash frowned at Gage. "Maybe." He muttered defensively, finishing his stuffing with one last shove and slinging his pack over his shoulder. Ash brushed past Gage once his pack was back where it belonged and he drew his shotgun, getting ready for the bloodworms he knew where in here somewhere.

Shaking his head and dropping the subject, Gage made sure his gun still had plenty of ammo in the clip and followed behind Ash. They came across their first batch of bloodworms quickly afterwards. Unfortunately, they all exploded from the bloated corpse of a brahmin instead of out of the ground, so there wasn't any chance to play shoot-a-worm.

Still, even as less-fun as it was, Ash and Gage did what needed to be done and moved on. The next bloodworm batch was in a big room where, once upon a time, people would've waited in line to board the actual minecart coaster. This room had six brahmin corpses and even some bloodworms that seemed to be sleeping. Before Ash could start rifling around in his pack for something drastic, the biggest bloodworm yet seemed to sense them and led the charge with the ones around the room that had appeared to be sleeping.

The big one took more bullets than the others to kill, but Ash and Gage didn't even get bit before all the loose worms in the room were dead. Then it was time to pop the corpses. Since Gage's gun was more suited to range than Ash's, the teen stood back and allowed Gage to pop the corpses. One by one, he popped the brahmin balloons and he and Ash took care of the bloodworms that came out. Before long, that room was cleared.

The next section had a little in-between part that was locked on both sides by doors that didn't stand a chance against Ash and his limitless supply of bobby pins. He had to use his Pip-Boy's light to see what he was doing and that gave Gage a nice view as well. Even though he tried not to be too obvious in watching Ash crack both locks, the teen knew he was watching over his shoulder.

Once the locks and the room they were protecting were out of the way, Ash and Gage popped another bloodworm piñata and dealt with the insides. After that, there were only two more loose bloodworms on the path out and that was that. They had officially dealt with the infestation. Leaving the attraction, Ash and Gage made their way to the entrance of Dry Rock Gulch so Ash could deal with the secondary robot infestation.

Five destroyed robots later, Ash and Gage were climbing some stands to get to the flagpole so Ash could assign a gang. Considering it briefly, Ash attached a flag and hoisted it, the Operators' flag flying in a light breeze. Thanks to all the bypassing Ash had been able to do, clearing out Dry Rock Gulch had only taken a few hours so there was still plenty of time left in the day to clear the final park.

"Ready to finish this shit?" Ash asked, looking back at Gage as he led the way to the final park. Kiddie Kingdom had always been Ash's favorite park. He liked all the colors and the candy theme everywhere and had been hoping that it wasn't too washed out after a nuclear war and two-hundred years of neglect.

"Been ready for a long time, boss." Gage responded, sounding excited. "But before we go in there, you might wanna make sure you got plenty of rad protection. Place's fuckin' swamped with rads."

"Unnecessary." Ash informed, slinging his pack off and fishing out two hazmat suits.

At first Gage looked surprised, but then he looked suspicious. "Did you know?" He asked, starting to think that maybe Ash wasn't lying about the whole "witchcraft" thing.

Laughing as he popped out the collapsible helmets through the neckholes, Ash shook his head. "The overboss is just always prepared." He replied, handing Gage a suit and taking off his hat and mask. His coat came off next and then his boots. It all went into his pack effortlessly and Gage could feel his eyelid twitch a bit.

"Right." He muttered, taking off his bulky armor and his own boots before sliding into the hazmat suit. He maneuvered his own gear into place in his pack, his stuff only fitting because he didn't travel with more than a few days worth of supplies at a time. He didn't even have all those boxes of ammo on him. He'd dropped most of them off at Fizztop that very morning, keeping only about six of them on him.

Deciding not to give Gage more than that, Ash slung his pack back on and kept moving. Overhead, a very polite radstorm rolled in, the green clouds slowly filling the sky now that Ash and Gage were already protected. This didn't help with Gage believing Ash really was a witch. That pack of his really was far too convenient. It didn't make sense that Ash was a witch, but neither did most other things about the teen.

"Convenient." Ash muttered, taking the thoughts right out of Gage's head as he looked up just in time to see the first crack of green lightning split the sky.

"Yeah." Gage agreed, managing to keep most of the suspicion out of his voice. Not all of it though. Ash either didn't notice or didn't deem it worth pointing out. Unbeknownst to Gage, Ash was smiling to himself, pleased at how that had all worked out.

Finally the two men made it to Kiddie Kingdom and Ash practically jogged past the threshold, not worried in the slightest about the radioactive misters that kicked on all around him thanks to his suit. Despite the green haze everywhere, Ash could tell the park's colors were surprisingly well-preserved. "Well now friends, it seems we have another uninvited guest to the park." The unmistakable rasp of a ghoul said from the speakers around the park that would normally play announcements. _Oh no_. Not another speaker man!

Freezing in his tracks, Ash hung his head. Why? Why were people so obsessed with taunting him over speakers? "Up! Up, performers! It's time for another show!" The ghoul shouted, at least having the decency to have some flair to him. "Though I doubt you'll even make it to the theater, stranger." He taunted, sealing his death warrant with those eleven words. "Shall we take bets on where this one shuffles off? What do you think, friends? The tunnels? The Fun House?"

Slowly drawing his shotgun, Ash cocked it and proceeded. One very dead ghoul coming right up. Gage for his part smartly stayed back, seeming to be able to sense the change in Ash and deciding it best to stay out of his way. When the ghoul came on again, Gage actually cringed a bit. He was only making it worse for himself, but Gage supposed he really had no way of knowing the kind of sheer destructive force he was reckoning with.

"Do you enjoy that lovely, glowing mist? Feels great to us! Why, we've got sprayers all over Kiddie Kingdom to keep you cool and irradiated." The ghoul taunted, really seeming to think he could intimidate Ash.

On the way to the first attraction he happened to come across, the Fun House, Ash unflinchingly destroyed every feral that came his way. Gage didn't even try to help, he didn't need to. Ash was of single-minded focus on this one. His only objective was to kill and Gage wasn't interested in getting in his way.

"Welcome, boys and girls, to the Fun House!" The ghoul announced once Ash walked into said building. "And aren't we having fun?" He asked, chuckling sinisterly. Ash walked up to the first section, a mirror maze. "Don't worry, the mirrors are too dirty to reflect anything." The ghoul reassured, his voice dropping a bit afterwards. "In your case, I'd say that's probably a benefit."

Much to Gage's surprise, Ash laughed softly. It was a low, cold sound that sent a shiver up the older man's spine. He wouldn't want to be this ghoul. It took Ash about ten minutes to navigate the mirror maze and Gage wasn't sure if it was luck or rage that helped him do it so quickly. It was neither, but Gage still didn't believe that Ash was two-hundred years old and he wouldn't have ever believed that Ash had been here before, let alone that he could remember how to navigate the maze from having done it before during his very first trip when he was only nine.

The next section was a conveyor belt that Ash powered through, making it off before some grenades snapped down from the ceiling. He heard Gage swear from behind and peaked around the corner to see him avoid getting caught in the blast. Ash looked up and got his first look at the ghoul who'd been taunting him. Or the ghoul he assumed was the one. Either way, Ash waved to get the ghoul's attention, pointed at him, and then ran a finger slowly across his own throat. He was sure that gesture was still universally understood as "I'm gonna fucking kill you" so it was surprising when the ghoul simply smiled down at him without saying something smart over the speakers.

Turning away from that smug grin, Ash moved on to the next section, hearing Gage catch up shortly after. The next section was some spinning bottles with platforms that Ash, in all his nimble glory, cleared in no time, easily hopping from one bottle to the other and then to solid ground. After that was a room of spinning tubes painted with green spirals. They were meant to induce dizziness and they worked a little, making Ash wobble on his feet from more than climbing through spinning metal.

"Listen to the sound of my voice!" The ghoul called over the speakers, trying for the lilting tone of a hypnotist. "You're going to die!" He shouted, breaking into another fit of laughter. Ash silently mocked the ghoul's laugh and cleared the spinning tunnels quickly, finding himself next in a room built to induce vertigo. Chairs on the ceiling, mock rooms built sideways, doors in the floor, the works. "Feeling dizzy yet? Can't tell which way is up?" The ghoul asked mockingly, Ash rolling his eyes.

The next room was a spinning platform surrounded by doors and full of ferals. Staying right where he was, Ash picked the ferals off easily, only needing to reopen the door occasionally when it closed itself. Once he stepped onto the platform, the ghoul came back on the speaker. "Round and round and round and _round_." He taunted, probably used to people being a fair bit more queasy by this point.

Ash was too pissed to be queasy though. As he rode the spinning platform waiting for the right door, the second red one from the entrance, Gage stepped onto the platform and made a noise.

"Who the hell's idea of fun was this shit?" He grumbled, ducking into the door Ash disappeared into and finding himself unsurprised when it was the right door.

Ash opened his mouth to reply but he got cut off by the ghoul. "Well, you're a bit hardier than those others, it seems. But not much smarter, I'm afraid."

Shaking his head, Ash looked over his shoulder at Gage. "Yeah, I hated this attraction when I came here." He agreed, removing the chains from the door that would serve as their exit.

There was silence and then Gage spoke up again. "Sticking with that whole "I'm two-hundred years old" thing, huh, boss?" He asked quietly, aware that he was stepping on thin ice with how annoyed Ash already was but finding himself unable to resist asking. Did Ash really think he was that gullible? Was Ash crazier than Gage realized and really believe it?

Sighing in a tired way, Ash responded in an equally tired tone. "Yep. According to what I've been able to find out, I'm two-hundred-twenty-eight years old." He moved past Gage, doubling back to check the door labeled "Employee's Only". It suddenly occurred to Ash that this had to be the room he saw the ghoul in and he picked up his pace only to find himself disappointed and confused when the room was empty. How?

"Sorry, little raider, already gone." The ghoul said over the speakers, choosing, as most did, a very bad, regardless of how accurate, adjective to describe Ash. "Don't worry, I've still got plenty of surprises in store for you."

"I'm going to gut you, wrap your intestines around your neck, and throw you off the tallest building I can find." Ash muttered, jumping a bit when Gage spoke up again.

"What was that, boss?" He asked, sounding just a bit concerned at what he thought he heard.

"Nothing." Ash responded, leaving the Fun House and finding that the radstorm had passed. "Just planning out loud."

Carving another path of destruction, Ash found his way to a side-entrance into the employee tunnels of Kiddie Kingdom and entered them. As he searched the tunnels for ferals, Ash suddenly heard the ghoul's voice and picked up the pace to follow it. He found the ghoul in a room scolding a feral about "being out of costume" and decided to give shooting through the glass window that overlooked the duo a shot. The glass shattered and the ghoul got hit by some scattershot, making a pained sound and disappearing in a puff of smoke before Ash could shoot him again. The feral didn't have so much luck.

Ash figured he must've been as shocked as the ghoul since he didn't come on the speakers to say something smart. He could teleport? Well, that explained how he'd disappeared from the Fun House. Suddenly turning to look at Gage, Ash motioned at the empty lower area. "In a world with teleporting ghouls, is it really so hard to believe I was frozen for two-hundred years?" He asked, knowing Gage had seen it too even if he couldn't see what was no doubt a very shocked expression on his face.

"I- I guess not." Gage muttered, his voice showing all the shock his face couldn't.

As much as he wanted to feel validated by Gage's admittance, there was still a ghoul that needed gutting, so Ash simply moved on. He came out in a tunnel that went over the tracks that the cars that circled Kiddie Kingdom rode on and so waited. He waited for the cars to go by and then waited for another rotation to make sure he timed it right before tearing down the tunnel with Gage on his heels. Ash knew it wouldn't feel very good if he got ran over by one of those carts, so the extra precaution felt wise. He'd be lucky of all it did was bruise him if a cart caught him before he cleared the entrance. More likely, it'd knock him over and roll over any part of him still on the track when he fell.

Ash's timing was good, however, and he and Gage made it safely out of the tunnel long before the next cars came through. Shooting more ferals along the way, Ash carved a path to King Cola's Castle. When Ash opened the gates that led to the courtyard, they snapped a tripwire and Ash barely had time to dive out of the way before two missile launchers fired at where he had been standing. Luckily Gage was still hanging back so he didn't get hit either.

Getting back up, Ash continued on his path of mayhem, clearing the courtyard of all the ferals poised there to ambush him. Some of the paths were blocked off so Ash had to follow the deathtrap exactly as it was intended to be followed, but that was fine by him. Finally Ash made it to the entrance of the theater and walked in, ready for whatever round of bullshit was next.

"You've finally arrived!" The ghoul called, sounding overjoyed. "Quickly, the show is about to begin!" Ah, _there_ was the sarcasm Ash had come to expect. Still, Ash wasn't going to keep him waiting for his own funeral, so he walked through the doors to the theater room, shotgun at the ready.

"And now-" A different voice called, making Ash pause. "the show you've all been waiting for-" It paused, clearly trying to be dramatic. "Oswald the Outrageous!"

Eyes widening, Ash quickly switched from his shotgun to his knife. Of course! How did he not recognize Oswald? Even if it had been nine, well, more like two-hundred-nineteen, but still, years, Ash should've recognized him. He'd seen Oswald's show on his first visit. Or, part of it, anyway. Oswald had made the mistake of randomly choosing Ash to participate in the show and Ash was promptly escorted from the theater along with a very embarrassed Nate and Nora for exposing the tricks Oswald had tried to get him to participate in. He had been _that_ kind of child.

There was a puff of smoke from the upper level of the stage and Oswald appeared. "I'll admit, I didn't think you'd make it this far. I can tell you're different from the usual invaders, so I'll not bother with the _usual_ tricks and illusions I use to scare off the superstitious." He said, disappearing in another puff of smoke and reappearing within a few meters of Ash. "When the bombs fell, everything changed. **We** changed. And somehow, I received a gift." Oswald explained, boldly coming closer to Ash. "Actual magic. The stuff of legends. Perhaps you'd like to see some?"

Before Ash could rudely decline, Oswald let out a burst of radiation. "Up!" He shouted, the apparently-not-dead ferals scattered around the room standing slowly. "No matter what you do, I can heal my friends, and we will protect what is ours." Oswald declared, missing the flaw in that plan. If he could heal the ferals, Ash would just kill him first. Then Oswald drew a sword and Ash's eyes widened in excitement.

"Take care of the peons, I got Oswald." Ash hissed at Gage, his voice low and excited. He'd never had a proper sword fight with someone. His knife was lacking in the length department compared to Oswald's, but he was confident in his odds regardless. Oswald didn't seem to expect Ash to charge at him, knife raised to slice at his face.

Raising his own sword, Oswald blocked the attack as Gage took out the ferals around them. Sliding his knife across Oswald's sword and creating a beautiful shower of sparks while he did, Ash jumped to the side and cut Oswald's thigh. The ghoul cried out and spun around to swing at Ash, but Ash blocked the attack with his smaller knife, mimicking the way Oswald had done it. Oswald's leg was bleeding quite a bit from the deep gash Ash had given him and when he faltered, Ash broke his knife free of the lock with Oswald's sword and cut his chest.

The break from the lock made Oswald stagger and the slice to the chest made him fall back. Realizing he had underestimated Ash and bleeding far too much, Oswald vanished in another puff of smoke, having been too distracted with Ash to even heal the ferals that Gage had dealt with. Ash huffed, frowning in disappointment as Oswald vanished. "Coward." He muttered, looking around when Oswald's voice came onto the speakers again.

"Sorry, but I'm not going out that easily." Oswald said, sounding not nearly in pain enough for Ash's taste considering the damage he'd done. "Since it seems your asinine assault won't be dissuaded, I guess it's time for our final act. Join me on the roof and we'll see an end to this production."

"If he has more friends up there, they're all yours, but you leave him to me." Ash said, glancing at Gage in time to catch his affirmative nod.

"Sure thing, boss."

Walking backstage, all of Ash's bloodlust drained from him instantly and was replaced by anxiety as he realized the only way up to the roof was by elevator. Gage walked into the elevator first and turned to look at Ash and the teen took a slow breath. Stepping onto the elevator, Ash pressed the button and focused on his breathing, allowing himself to take comfort in how close Gage was standing.

There was plenty of room in the elevator for Gage to have his own personal space, and he certainly would've moved if Ash would've seemed worse for his proximity, but as Ash's breathing mellowed out somewhat, Gage felt he'd made the right decision. When the elevator slowed, Gage backed up somewhat and when the doors opened, Ash didn't bolt out of them, instead moving out of the metal box at a brisk but reasonable pace. Gage decided to ignore the weird surge of pride he felt for that.

There was a pop and a puff and Oswald appeared, his clothes stained with green glowing blood, but his general appearance not seeming any worse for the wear. "You raiders are all the same. You come into someone's home, steal their belongings and kill those they care about. I'm not going to let you kill any more of my friends. This is our home, not yours." He declared strongly, sword drawn and looking ready for a fight.

"You're not going to _let_ me?" Ash asked lowly, his voice coming out so steady that no one would even know about his mini anxiety attack over having to use the elevator. "How are you gonna stop me? You had a whole-ass legion of ferals at your disposal and I slaughtered all of them. I cleared your little death-trap of a park in, what, a few hours? How do you think **you're** going to keep **me** from doing whatever the fuck I want to you, your friends, and this whole fucking park?"

"By making you disappear." Oswald snarled back, matching Ash's decision that the time for talk was over as the two men charged at eachother, sword and knife drawn.

* * *

Cliffhanger! Dun dun duh!

"Yes, okay, Alex, you're very dramatic. Like we don't know Ash is gonna win. He's so op."

Shut up and let me have this!


	16. Nuka-World: The Beginning

Chapter Specific Characters: Oswald the Outrageous, Porter Gage, Shank

Chapter Specific Tags/Warnings: Self harm

* * *

Meeting with a clash of metal, Ash and Oswald found themselves in a brief lock before Ash slid his knife upwards, sidestepping Oswald's sword as it came down and trying to slash at the ghoul's side. Oswald moved in time and tried for a slash of his own only to have Ash block the blow. Neither man was really trained to fight like this. Proper sword fighting was a long-lost art. Oswald only really had as much knowledge as Ash and both of them only from old pre-war movies so both men were really just winging it.

Still, for just winging it, they were doing a good job of not hitting eachother. The blocks were decent, the slashes were fast and savage, and the parries were sloppy but they **did** occasionally manage to get a stagger in. Gage, meanwhile, was dealing with the ferals that had crawled out of the rubble all around them to attack. They seemed as focused on him as Ash was on Oswald which worked out just fine since Ash clearly had his hands full.

Quite suddenly, Ash had an idea. "Do you recognize me, Oswald?" He asked, grinning at the perplexed frown Oswald gave him.

"Oh, sure, I recognize everyone who comes trespassing into my home in a full hazmat suit." Oswald replied sarcastically, cutting a gash into the chest of said suit and giving Ash a nice cut on his chest to boot.

Hissing in pain, Ash realized that was it for his suit; the rads were gonna get in now no matter what. Being that as it was, Ash flung his helmet off and shook his hair out a bit, parrying Oswald's next hit and taking a step back. "I'm sure you had alot of audience participants during your time working here, but what about this?" Ash's expression went dead and his tone went void, though he tried to make it come out younger and higher, the whole display confusing Oswald enough that he didn't take the opportunity to attack. "The top of the hat pops out and the rabbit is under the table. There's a compartment in the wardrobe. Wires. There's wires everywhere."

Eyes widening a bit in recognition, Oswald faltered on his feet and had to take a few steps back to avoid a sudden wild swing from Ash. "I do remember you! Security had to escort you out because you wouldn't be quiet and play along!" He said, frowning in confusion and blocking Ash's attack as he closed in on him. "How-how are you still alive?"

"Hear that, Gage!?" Ash called, grinning over at Gage quickly before turning his attention back to Oswald. "An unbiased, third-party account of my life before the bombs!"

"Yeah, I-I heard it." Gage responded, shooting a feral in the head before it could charge at him.

"Well, I'm _so_ glad I could clear up whatever little lover's quarrel that was, but if you would kindly focus!" Oswald shouted, crying out in pain when Ash suddenly stabbed him in the upper arm.

"I'm plenty focused." Ash hissed, ripping his knife free to block Oswald's swing and stabbing him in the side next.

Much to Ash's temporary annoyance, Oswald disappeared in a puff of smoke, reappearing further away on the catwalks up above them. Running up to Oswald, Ash caught him just when he was about to send out a radiation wave and tackled him. Unfortunately for both men, Oswald had been standing near a bit of broken railing and Ash's momentum sent them crashing through it and to the concrete below. Oswald took the brunt of the damage and cried out as his elbow hit the concrete far too hard and shattered like glass. He didn't have time to try swinging at the teen above him before Ash's knife was buried in his shoulder and he had to disappear again.

Despite the radioactive barrels around the roof slowly recharging his energy and helping him heal, Oswald was running out of juice. He could only do so much magic at one time before he had to take a break, and if he didn't take care of Ash quickly, he wouldn't have enough power to heal himself next time Ash gave him a serious injury. As it was now, he didn't even have enough juice to try again to send a radiation pulse to heal his friends dealing with Gage.

On the up side for Oswald, Ash was also breathing hard as he got up and looked around to locate the ghoul up on the catwalk again. He'd never fought this hard for this long. It was one thing to hold his knife still and let a gatorclaw do all the work for him, but this was considerably more interactive. He had to be on his guard with Oswald or he'd get even more damaged than he already was. It was bad enough that Ash's suit wasn't really functioning anymore so he was sucking up rads from being around the barrels, the last thing he needed was a serious cut to deal with too.

Locating Oswald, Ash grinned despite how tired he was. "Not looking very good there, Ossy." He mocked, the fierce glare Oswald gave him only making Ash grin wider.

"I'd say the same for you, but you didn't look very good to begin with, so-" Oswald trailed off, giving a shrug.

Either unbothered or hiding it well, Ash laughed and stalked forward, climbing the ramp up to where Oswald was. "I'm pretty sure it's cheating to heal everytime you teleport." He informed, charging the last few steps and swinging his knife down at Oswald.

Blocking it with a grunt, Oswald sneered at Ash. "Jealous?" He bit out, kicking Ash in the stomach and dashing forward when he staggered back.

Moving to the side at the last moment, Ash stabbed Oswald in the back, his knife barely missing the other man's spine. "A little, yeah." He admitted, ripping his knife free and backing up a few steps as Oswald straightened up.

Panting hard as bright green blood leaked from his mouth, Oswald knew it was now or never. Ash's knife had punctured his lung and everything was getting fuzzy and breathing was becoming too difficult. He either took Ash down with him, or he lost this fight and the home he'd fought so hard and so long to defend. Charging forward with what was left of his strength, Oswald swung but Ash caught his arm.

"Too slow, Ossy." Ash breathed, panting hard and swaying a bit on his feet. He was _just_ stronger than Oswald, the radiation taking it's toll but not as much as a popped lung. Brandishing his knife with an almost drunk-looking swagger, Ash placed the tip of the blade to Oswald's chest and began to press. The ghoul hissed but hadn't any strength left to fight and before long, Ash's knife had slowly pierced his heart. Grinning, Ash ripped his knife free one last time, shoving Oswald away at the same time and watching as he fell, dead.

Swaying, Ash fell, only avoiding hitting his head on the nearby railing because Gage caught him. "Alright, stay with me, boss." Gage hissed, dragging Ash away from the barrels he'd been standing far too close to the entire fight and sticking the needle end of a Rad-Away into his neck. It normally went in the arm, but he didn't have time to get Ash's suit off, so this would have to work. Getting out a Rad-X and a can of water, Gage knelt and propped Ash up laying against his knees with his head in his lap. He got the teen to swallow the pill with a mouthful of water and then helped him nurse the rest of the water while the Rad-Away did its job.

Once Ash started looking less pale, Gage stuck him in the chest with a stimpak to start healing the cut he'd received there. "You're fuckin' insane." He grumbled, still holding Ash against his knees. "You shoulda just shot 'im. There wasn't any reason to put yourself in so much danger."

"Still won." Ash mumbled, smiling through the fog in his brain.

Sighing, Gage couldn't help but smile. This crazy fucker was something else. "Yeah, you sure did, boss." He conceded, leaning back as Ash sat up slowly on his own.

"I think that's the closest I ever came to biting the big one." Ash mumbled, checking his Pip-Boy and seeing that the Rad-Away still had quite a bit of work to do. "Mighta killed over too if you weren't here."

"Careful, boss, I think I almost heard a "thank you" in all that." Gage said sarcastically, standing up and going over to Oswald's corpse. He fished around in the ghoul's pockets and returned to Ash, holding out a computer password and a key.

Smiling tiredly, Ash took both. "Thanks, Gage." He muttered, standing slowly and taking the bag of Rad-Away with him as he walked over to the terminal. He didn't feel like even trying to crack it in his current condition, so he just used the password, quickly locating the option to shut off the radiation misters and selecting it. Stepping back, Ash then unlocked the door that would let him get to the flagpole and passed through it, squinting at the bright red sky the sunset was creating.

Following Ash outside, Gage took off his helmet and looked out at the sun. "Kinda pretty, huh, boss?" He muttered, looking over with a raised eyebrow when Ash snorted.

"Overrated." Ash muttered, yanking the needle from his neck and tossing the empty bag of Rad-Away aside. He still didn't feel completely better yet, but he wasn't quite ready to get another bag going. Hunting for the flag he needed, Ash assigned the final Nuka-World park to the Disciples and watched the flag rise as he hoisted it.

"Well I'll be damned." Gage hummed, looking up at the flag as well. "It's official. Nuka-World is ours, all of it." He said, sounding excited and very pleased but, much to Ash's delight, not surprised.

Grinning, Ash looked to Gage. "Not surprised, are you, Gage?" He asked coyly, wanting to hear it from the older man.

"'Course not, boss." Gage replied, looking at Ash and giving him a grin of his own. "We ain't ever been on ground this solid before and it's all thanks to you."

Looking away, Ash gave a shrug. "I had a pretty competent assistant." He offered, smiling when Gage laughed.

"That you did." Gage boasted lightly, the smile slowly leaving him and being replaced by a serious expression. "Look, I been thinkin'-" He started, pausing to consider his words before carrying on. "Now that we're here, let's keep this party goin'. I'm thinkin' it's time we set our sights on the Commonwealth." Gage said, holding up a hand when Ash looked at him with an arched eyebrow. "Takin' back Nuka-World is a big fuckin' deal, no question, but it can't be the end of things. Needs to be a beginnin'."

"Elaborate." Ash ordered lightly, turning to look at Gage fully and feeling intrigued.

"These buncha savages need a goal, somethin' to focus on. If they ain't got it, they'll wind up turnin' on eachother." Gage explained, tone and face all business now. "And an operation this big, we're gonna need more of- well, everythin'. Nobody's gonna hand it to us, we need to take it." He said, a slow grin breaking up his serious expression. "Commonwealth has a ton of shitty little settlements that could be put to better use, don't you think?"

Grinning at the implication, Ash nodded. "I'd say so." He agreed, suddenly letting out a breath and running his hand through his hair. "Fuck, we're talking full-on Commonwealth domination, aren't we?" Ash asked, the realization making his head spin a bit. Or maybe that was just the rads. His levels were still pretty high, after all.

"Sure are." Gage agreed, looking out at the quickly darkening horizon again. "'Course, I'm just makin' suggestions here. You're the one that needs to give the go-ahead." He said, clearly trying to toe the fine-line of telling Ash what he needed to do without sounding like that's exactly what he was doing. "You ask me, we don't rush into this headlong, we take it slow, be smart about it. If we're aimin' to grab a piece of the Commonwealth, it's going to take the right contacts and alot of muscle. I say we go have ourselves a chat with Shank. He's the point man for everythin' enterin' and leavin' Nuka-World."

"Yeah, alright." Ash said, looking out at the low sun as it disappeared quickly below the horizon. "I'll talk to him first thing in the morning."

"He floated this idea before, been itchin' to talk to you ever since you took over." Gage added, shifting a bit when the sun finally vanished fully below the horizon. "I'd bet he's got a good idea of where to start. He's in charge of the caravans, so odds are you can find him somewhere near the marketplace. In the meantime, I'm gonna get the gangs workin' on gettin' Nuka-World's power plant up and runnin'. It's about time we shed some real light around here and let people know we mean serious business."

Nodding, Ash slung his pack off and casually turned on his Pip-Boy's flashlight to rifle through it. He picked out a can of water and straightened up to drink it, leaving his Pip-Boy light on and pretending not to notice how it made Gage relax. It was the least he could do, really, with how helpful Gage had been during all this. "Sounds good, Gage." Ash finally said, getting a relay ready and holding his hand out to him. "Comin' along?"

Nodding, Gage took Ash's hand and they disappeared together in a flash. When they came out of it into Sanctum, the two men traveled in comfortable silence up to their respective rooms, Ash to finish treating his radiation poisoning and Gage to get planning their next steps. It was a few hours later when Ash saw Gage again. He was now clean and rad free and if Gage wearing the clean, grey Institute clothes were any indication, he'd showered as well.

"Hey, boss, can I ask you somethin'?" Gage asked from the doorway to Ash's room.

"'Course." Ash responded, turning off the game he'd been playing on his Pip-Boy and sitting up on his bed. He motioned for Gage to come in and the man sat on the couch near Ash's bed, looking a bit nervous.

"Okay, I mean, I was wonderin'-" Gage started, frowning a bit as he struggled with his words. "We been runnin' together for awhile now." He said, Ash knowing this was going to be a serious conversation by how nervous Gage seemed. "You ain't afraid to take what you want, and don't let anybody get in your way. Got more guts than most folks. I guess what I'm wonderin' is, why? What's behind all this for you?" Gage finished, finally looking at Ash.

Suddenly uncomfortable, Ash shifted a bit. _Hiding who you are isn't living free_, he thought, taking a breath before speaking. "Honestly? It's all just for the fun of it." Ash answered honestly, feeling relieved when Gage didn't look put off by that answer.

"Not the worst reason I ever heard." Gage said, smiling a bit before getting serious again. "You ask me, this whole damn world is here just to tear you down. Deck's stacked against you from the very beginnin'. Most folks are too stupid to realize it." He said, his tone just short of venomous. "They just sort of stumble through, managin' to scrape together some shitty little life for themselves. They struggle every day, until somethin' catches them off guard, and then that's it. Lights out." Gage sounded spiteful, clearly not thinking very highly of those sorts of people.

Ash simply nodded a bit, leaning forward some as Gage spoke. He wasn't sure what all this was about, but it was clear Gage needed to get it off his chest.

"They don't get how it is, they don't see it comin'." Gage continued after cutting his eye over to make sure Ash didn't look annoyed. "And then some folks are too aware of it, you know? They see the world for how fucked up it is and so they decide they gotta have it all, right now." He said, sounding equally disliking of this opposite sort of people. "All the booze, all the chems, all the caps, and they don't care how they get it. In fact, if they can take it from others, they feel like they're gettin' the upper hand. Only, they ain't." Gage said with a light sigh.

"Fuckin' raiders." He practically spat, shaking his head. "They get so greedy, so focused on _right now_ they make some shitty mistakes, and wind up dead. Hell, maybe some of them are tryin' to get killed." At that, Ash couldn't help but think of every stupid, reckless, self-endangering decision he'd ever made and wonder if he was one of those people trying to get killed. Was that what he wanted? Was that why he was so reckless? It was only when Ash saw the look Gage was giving him that he realized that's exactly what Gage was implying. He didn't get a chance to respond before Gage kept talking.

"You've taken a real shine to runnin' the gangs, hasn't gone unnoticed." Gage continued, his tone making it hard to decipher it that was good or bad. "These idiots need someone in charge. All these people, they either try too hard or not enough, maybe not at all. Me? I like to think I walk the line between fightin' for what I deserve and gettin' out of control." He said, looking at Ash fully. "But you. Boss, you're a damn live-wire. I don't doubt your abilities. Not anymore, not after all I seen you do, but I need to know: **are** you tryin' to get yourself killed?"

The question hit Ash like a brick to the face now that it was coming from someone else and not from his own mind. Mostly because he didn't have an answer yet. Of course he wasn't **trying** to get himself killed. He'd never been happier than in this post-apocalyptic hellhole where he could finally indulge in every depraved thing he'd ever wanted to do to someone. Then again, Ash really did welcome death with open arms. He supposed he sort of fought for life, but if the odds were ever stacked so high that he didn't stand a chance, he'd smile as he went, he was sure of it. Hell, sometimes he stacked the odds against himself. Why? Why was he like that? He didn't know. He didn't have an answer.

Gage was waiting patiently for one though, so Ash shrugged lightly. "I don't know." He replied slowly, looking away. "I- I've always been like this. Self-destructive, I mean. Even before the bombs." Ash pushed up his sleeve in order to pick at the cigarette burn scabs on his arm, a nervous habit. "I don't think I'm suicidal. I don't really care if I live or die though. I- sort of just want a rush. If risking my life gets me that rush-" He trailed off, shrugging and looking back at Gage.

Nodding slowly, Gage leaned back on the couch. "Well, better than a "yes", I suppose." He muttered, sounding slightly relieved. "Look, I-" Gage started again, pausing and making a face. He looked down and did an odd sort of spinning motion with his hands like he was rolling a ball between them before trying again. "I grew up in your average crap-hole settlement with parents that meant well, but- they were pushovers." Gage said, sounding disappointed and shaking his head a bit but moving on quickly.

"Watched 'em get smacked around by raider gangs for years, handin' over whatever they had to keep their lives. One day, I'm watchin' 'em cower in front of some punk with a gun, and it just hits me." Gage said, punching one hand into the other to emphasize his point but keeping his eyes on the floor. ""I ain't gonna end up like this", I says to myself. So I bail. I'm what, twelve years old? Didn't matter. I'd seen enough of the world to know how shit works."

For a moment it seemed like Gage was waiting for Ash to say something, he even glanced up at Ash, but the teen simply sat there, watching Gage closely and wondering where he was going with this. When Ash refused to speak, either to tell him to shut up or to weigh in, Gage continued.

"I bounced around for a few years, takin' whatever jobs I could to pay for food. I was a runner for a caravan for a while, did some scavengin', did odd jobs for settlements- no matter what, one thing never changed." Gage said, smiling a bit and shaking his head. "When the raiders came through, everyone rolled over. Raiders took what they wanted, moved on, and that was that. Didn't take long before I finally figured out where I'd _really_ been headin' all along. Next time a gang came through, I joined. Worked my way up over the years, and now here we are." He said, finally looking up fully and motioning to Ash and himself.

"And, well- well, my point is, runnin' with you now-" Gage paused again, frowning but not looking away. This was hard for him, all this sharing shit, but he was determined to get his point across. "-makes it seem like it was all worth it." He finished, swallowing hard now that it was finally all out there.

"Wow." Ash murmured, shocked and- flattered? Yeah, flattered. "I wasn't expecting that." He admitted, looking down and realizing he'd made his arm bleed from picking his scabs too hard. "I- well, I can't say I been through the same kinda shit you have, but-" Ash paused, covering his bleeding arm with his other hand. "I mean-"

"Elaborate."

"What?" Ash asked, looking up at Gage in surprise, having not expected to get interrupted.

"I laid it all out for you, boss. Your turn. Tell me about your shit, I wanna know." Gage responded, watching Ash closely. There was a long silence where Gage was afraid he'd overstepped, that he'd pissed Ash off and fucked things up, and then Ash looked away and took a deep breath. Then he started talking.

"The first time I remember realizing I was _different_ was when I was eight." Ash said softly, looking at the floor as he spoke instead of at Gage. "I had drawn a picture of someone getting stabbed in the eye and my parents took away my crayons for a week. I didn't understand why and they couldn't, or wouldn't, tell me more than "it's bad" so I just kept doing it. Eventually they started discouraging me from drawing at all and after awhile, I stopped." He recounted, taking his knife from the nightstand and fiddling with it idly while he spoke.

"It only got worse from there. I was mean to the other kids at school and around the neighborhood. I liked to hurt them, so eventually I was restricted to only being around them with supervision." Ash said, nicking one of his fingers as he fiddled with his knife but not seeming to notice. "When I proved difficult to supervise, my time around other children outside of school was limited to times when two or more adults were around to watch me. Then I lost my animal privileges when I started taking out my aggression on the family dog." Sighing a bit, Ash looked away from the floor to the knife in his hand, still not really seeming to notice that he'd cut several of his fingers by then.

"They didn't get to the dog in time, though, but I never got caught for that one. I mean, Nate and Nora suspected me, of course, but they couldn't prove anything." Making an intentional cut on his palm while he spoke, Ash watched the blood flow lazily down the wound. "They got stricter after that and my once monthly therapy got bumped up to twice monthly." Somewhere in the back of his mind, Ash had a feeling Gage wouldn't know what therapy was, but he was in too deep now to stop and explain.

"I got into drugs and drinking with my friends once I got into high school. I was fourteen. By then, there wasn't any helping me or stopping me and I think Nate and Nora sort of knew that. They definitely stopped trying as hard." Ash said, his voice oddly void, like he was telling someone else's story instead of his own. "I was spiraling by the time the bombs fell. I was so bored with life and I was honestly okay with dying. I- I don't really know why I followed them when they told me to run. Why I didn't just stay there and face the nuclear hellfire." He muttered, shrugging a bit and setting his knife down in his lap. "I guess I just sort of figured if I died, whatever, and if I didn't die, whatever. It didn't matter, so I just ran."

Smiling a bit, Ash let out a humorless laugh, actually forgetting what the point of this was and now just unloading his baggage. "Every day after that has just been borrowed time. I should've died October twenty-seventy-seven, the day nuclear fire destroyed the Earth, but I didn't. I can't even count how many times I should've died after that. From the day I thawed out to what happened today. But here I am." Ash finally looked up, looking at Gage with eyes that looked far older than barely eighteen. "So I've taken up the idea of living free. I do what I want because I want to and if it gets me killed one day, oh well. I should've died two-hundred years ago, so what's it matter now?"

"Shit, boss." Gage muttered, not really sure what else to say. What else **could** he say?

Giving another humorless laugh, Ash looked down at his now mutilated hand and suddenly picked the knife back up, pressing the tip of it into his palm, intending to fully pierce his hand through if he could take it. He got a little ways in before Gage's hand was wrapped around his wrist, forcing him to ease up. When Ash glanced up, he didn't like the concerned, disturbed look Gage was giving him and looked away again, letting his knife drop from his hand onto the floor now that Gage was done letting him play with it.

Moving back once Ash dropped the knife, Gage hesitated. If he tried too hard, he knew Ash would lash out. He didn't like to be coddled even if that wasn't Gage's intention. Still, that knife was **not** sanitary and Ash was clearly content to just let himself bleed, so he felt he needed to do something. Getting out a stimpak, Gage gently took Ash's hand and was surprised when the teen didn't resist. He injected him there and in his other arm too and left, coming back quickly with a moist rag to clean the blood off of Ash.

Once Gage was finished, Ash pulled his hands back to himself, still staring at his lap so he didn't have to look anywhere else. It'd been a long time since he'd felt this empty. He'd managed to keep the feeling at bay since he woke up by either destroying or creating, but now that he couldn't even destroy himself, the feeling was a little overwhelming. Ash wasn't sad, that would take too much investment, he was just- hollow. Like there was a void where his heart should be and he couldn't feel anything even if he wanted to.

"But-" Ash said slowly, a sort of warm feeling igniting in his void as he suddenly remembered the point of all that. "But, everything with you, all the killing and conquering and all that, I think it makes all the emptiness and anger and spiraling-" He paused, needing to take a breath and having to force his thoughts to stay on track. "It was all worth it. It was all worth it cuz now even though I still don't care if I die, I'm as close to happy as I've ever been "running with you"."

Gage let out a breath as Ash seemed to catch a second wind and come back to himself. He hadn't meant to send him spiraling like that, he'd just wanted to learn more about Ash. "Yeah?" Gage asked, searching Ash's face for any lingering emptiness and finding it quickly clearing up.

"Yeah." Ash muttered, swallowing and looking down at his healing limbs. "Thanks." He whispered, letting out a shuddering breath as he slowly remembered how to feel again.

"Sure thing, boss." Gage replied, straightening up fully and retaking his seat on the couch. "And, uh, thank you." He said, looking away and feeling awkward again. "For sharin'."

"Yeah, sure." Ash said quietly, glancing at Gage. "I think it helped." He admitted, looking away again. "Or, it felt weirdly good, anyway."

Laughing softly, Gage gave a nod. "Too bad it's so fuckin' hard, huh?"

Giving a soft laugh of his own, Ash nodded. "Yeah."

There was a brief moment of silence before Gage cleared his throat and stood. "Well, it's late. I'm gonna head to bed." He started walking to the door but then seemed to linger there as if he was waiting for something.

Ash had resolved to break himself of telling Gage goodnight, but he noticed the lingering and raised his eyebrow a bit. "Night." He said, catching a small smile as Gage finally left. Huh. Too tired to ponder anything at the moment, Ash collapsed onto the bed and fell asleep almost instantly, not even getting the chance to take his Pip-Boy off.

When Ash woke up the next day, it was almost noon and he realized he hadn't set his alarm the other night. _Oops_. Sitting up, Ash stretched and at first he couldn't remember why he felt so fucking sore. Then he remembered sword fighting a ghoul on the roof of a castle and the way all that sounded without context made him smile sleepily to himself. What a fucking world.

Dragging his pack over, Ash rifled through it and pulled out a box of funnel cake. Two-hundred or so years past the expiration date, but still pretty good. Better than mirelurk, anyway. After his sugary breakfast, Ash walked over to his terminal and hit a few specific keys to enter a command. Then he went over to the couch and started cleaning his pack out. He had alot of shit that he didn't need to be packing around.

Ash was in the middle of realizing he needed more food that didn't max out the amount of sugar he was technically supposed to have in a week all in one bite when H1-87 appeared at his door. "You called for me?" They asked, having gotten an alert in their courser chip that Ash needed them.

"Yeah. Has Gage left already?" Ash asked, not looking up from his pack. He did **not** need to be lugging around all these clothes.

"He left early this morning." H1-87 responded, hiding it well if they were annoyed that Ash summoned them just for that.

"Thank you. Dismissed." Ash responded, glancing up to see H1-87 leave and finishing up with his pack soon after. There! Now he'd be able to fit whatever fresh loot he deemed worth lugging around as well as more food. **Real** food. As much as Ash was okay with sustaining himself solely on funnel cakes, snack cakes, and Nuka-Cola, he knew he needed actual food every now and again.

Getting dressed, Ash slid his pack on and clipped his Pip-Boy into place. He set his coordinates and triggered a relay, coming out of it in Fizztop Grille like always. A quick glance around told Ash that Gage wasn't there but as he started towards the button that would summon the lift, the distinct sound of the pulleys working started up. Leaning over the edge, Ash saw Gage riding the lift up and leaned back again. He was flipping through a book and not paying attention and Ash had every intention to startle him when he arrived.

The lift stopped and Gage stepped off into Fizztop Grille without looking up from his book. Moving as silently as he could in heels, Ash snuck up behind Gage and whispered "boo" in his ear. The elbow to the ribs was worth it for how hard Gage jumped. Ash stood doubled over, clutching his ribs and laughing and Gage looked annoyed.

"Dammit, boss! You don't sneak up on a man like that! You're lucky I didn't shoot you!" He scolded, sighing when Ash grinned at him behind his mask.

"It would've been worth it. You should've seen how high you jumped." Ash said, straightening up and rubbing his ribs a bit more before accepting the dull throb.

Huffing, Gage put his book away in his back pocket. "Well, I'm glad you're here. I got the gangs workin' on the power plant like I said I would."

"Cool." Ash responded, walking over to the lift. "I need to stop by the market after I talk with Shank."

"Alright." Gage said, boarding the lift with Ash and pressing the button to go back down.

A short walk later, Ash and Gage were in front of the Nuka-World market and Gage was pointing out a man lingering around the main entrances. Walking up to the man, Ash nodded once at him in greeting. Time to see if this one was a cunt. It was staggering how many people were cunts when first meeting Ash. Even Gage hadn't made the best first impression with all his "listen up" crap.

"Well, look who it is." Shank greeted, peeling himself off the wall he was leaning against and walking up to Ash. "Liking what you've done with the place, boss. Gangs certainly seem pleased with their new little kingdoms." He said, so far making a fair first impression. "Haven't seen people this revved up since last time someone spiked the water fountains." Shank added, smirking a bit at the memory. "Never formally introduced myself. Name's Shank." He introduced, making Ash feel old when he didn't extend his hand for a shake.

_Archaic_, Ash reminded himself, _that shit is archaic_. It was stupid in his time, it'd be even stupider now. "Ash." He replied, not bothering to add "Overboss" since there was no one in Nuka-World who didn't already know that by that point.

"Pleasure." Shank said, moving on quickly now that the introductions were out of the way. "Now, if you and Nuka-World's favorite cyclops are standing here, well, I suppose he expects you might be the one to finally get things back on track." He said, making Ash very grateful for his mask as he had to bite his lip hard to keep from laughing at the cyclops comment. "How long it take him to convince you it was time to move on the Commonwealth?"

Something about Shank's tone was making Ash prickle even as he couldn't quite place what it was about it that did it. He was soft-spoken enough, but that was hiding something. Like a trace of a hint of an implication that Ash was picking up on but couldn't quite put his finger on. Gage had caught it too though. Ash could tell he was now watching Shank instead of trying to appear like he wasn't listening like he usually did when Ash was handling business.

Speaking of, before Ash could respond, Gage butted in. "Hey now, no convincing, just a friendly conversation between like-minded individuals." He corrected, tone more friendly than Ash had ever heard it. Huh. Gage was the friendly type when he was threatening someone. Good to know.

Despite the trace of a hint of an implication that Ash still didn't like, he shrugged. "I was sold the moment the words left his mouth."

That made Shank smirk. "Good to know we finally got a smart Overboss." He said, smirk fading into what Ash was beginning to understand was a carefully crafted neutral mask. "Givin' the gangs spots to call their own around the park, it bought you some good will. But providing them with their own domains, carved from the settlements of the Commonwealth-" Shank paused, a smirk playing his lips again and a small, hungry sort of hissing sound leaving him. "I can't think of a better way to solidify your place around here. Plus, make us all a pretty cap along the way. If that interests you, well, all you've gotta do is say the word, and we can let the fun begin."

Creepy. Shank was kinda creepy. Ash didn't dislike it, per se, but that was definitely his vibe. "I'm interested." He confirmed, catching a flash of excitement in Shank's eyes that only manifested in a small smile.

"Music to my ears." Shank practically purred, glancing over as Gage spoke up again.

"Shank ain't kiddin', this is gonna be all kinds of fun." He said, sounding as excited as Shank had looked for that brief second. It was then that Ash realized that they had probably been plotting together about how to convince him since before he was even the guy they wound up with. He was feeling mildly set up but his growing eagerness to get started was keeping him from feeling too annoyed.

"So getting us set up in the Commonwealth's gonna require three things: territory, provisions, and loyalty." Shank explained, taking out a book from one of the pockets in his coat that looked suspiciously similar to the one Gage had been looking at. "First thing's first: territory. We're gonna need to claim a settlement for our gang to work from. An outpost. And there are two ways to claim new territory: you can head in yourself and- _convince_ the locals to leave, or I can get a crew together and you all can put them in the dirt. How you do it's up to you." He said, flipping his book open and looking at Ash. "So, first big decision. You wanna talk them off their land or you wanna wipe them out?"

"I, uh, I think you know what I'd rather do, boss." Gage added, clearly thinking he already knew which one Ash was going to chose and probably thinking that was a good way to let Ash know he approved.

Pausing long enough to feel like a proper dramatic asshole, Ash tilted his head up slightly, looked Shank in the eyes, and made his decision. "Neither."

"What?" Both Shank and Gage asked at the same time, making Ash grin.

"Here's what we're gonna do. Me and Gage are gonna head over to a settlement, make our intentions known, beat half to death anyone who doesn't like it, and then collar everyone there." Ash said, feeling and sounding quite confident in his decision. "Why would we waste perfectly good maids? They stick around, tend the crops, keep the place tidy, and the gang members have someone to pick on that isn't eachother. Sounds like a whole lotta positives and not alotta negatives to me." He finished, grinning at the look Shank was giving him and the look he imagined Gage was giving him.

"Well." Shank breathed, sounding as impressed as he looked. "Gage wasn't fucking with me when he said you were the real deal."

"Oh?" Ash asked, looking to Gage and catching the tail-end of the glare he'd shot Shank. "So you've been bragging about me?" His tone was amused because he was amused, but that didn't stop Gage from grinning at him sheepishly and generally looking quite nervous.

"Somethin' like that." He admitted, letting out a breath when Ash laughed and looked back to Shank.

"So, let's get this party started." Ash said, grinning behind his mask and more than ready to get moving. The Commonwealth was about to be very, very screwed.


	17. The Commonwealth Part 1

Chapter Specific Characters: Shank, Aaron Corbett, Porter Gage, Fritsch

* * *

"Now, once you've got all those settlers collared, you'll need to plant a gang's flag to make it official. Of course, every outpost you claim for a gang is going to be something the other gangs don't have." Shank said, not catching how Ash rolled his eyes. _Fucking children, the lot of them_. "And none of them like the thought of their rivals getting a leg up on them. Worth thinking over as you dole out more territory." He said, flipping a few pages in his book. "So, which gang you wanna assign their first Commonwealth territory?"

"The Disciples." Ash answered instantly, not even needing to think about it. He was gonna start strong with the gang he knew would make the biggest impact on the Commonwealth. It might've also helped their case that they were his favorite. Ah, nepotism. What a delightful practice.

Nodding, Shank did some scribbling in his book and flipped a few more pages. "That just leaves the target." He said, looking back up at Ash. "And since we're collaring and keeping our farmers, just about any settlement with a population'll do for the first one. So, you ready to pick the spot for Nuka-World's first new homestead?" Shank asked, looking as ready to go as Ash felt.

"Don't suppose your book tells you which settlement is the closest to us?" Ash asked, tilting his head a bit. He had another plan.

Nodding, Shank looked through his notes. "The Abernathy Farm is the closest populated settlement."

"Then we'll take that one first. I was thinking a steady outward expansion." Ash said, creating a finger pyramid of evil contemplation as he spoke. "Get all the populated settlements under our control starting with the closest and working our way out and then taking all the empty ones once that's done."

"**All** the populated settlements?" Shank asked, face finally showing all the surprise he was feeling.

"All of them." Ash confirmed, grinning. "We're going for total Commonwealth domination."

After casting a quick glance at Gage, Shank's face returned to mostly neutral and he nodded. "Go big or go home, am I right? Abernathy it is. Lemme just mark it on your Pip-Boy map." He did a bit of typing on Ash's Pip-Boy and then let him have his arm back. "That'll do it."

"Good. I just gotta pop into the market for a few and then me and Gage'll head out. Feel free to send the Disciples any time after we've left, I'm sure we'll be done taking over before they get there." Ash said, feeling good about the situation. He was really gonna lead a bloody conquest of the whole-ass Commonwealth and he wasn't even nervous. Ash couldn't tell if that meant he was confident or if his suicidal tendencies were flaring up again, but it felt good whatever it was.

"Sure thing, boss." Shank said, a hint of a smile on his face and perhaps more than a tinge of respect in his voice.

Walking into the market, Ash started with the friendly chem-dealer and began to make the rounds, trading his excess loot for supplies. Gage mentioned something about shock collars and wandered off while Ash bartered. He traded with the jittery medic, the mousy general goods dealer, and even a few of the caravans that were just passing through. Finally, Ash stopped at the bitch weapon trader and the amount of fear in his eyes when Ash stepped up to his counter was almost intoxicating.

"I see you've learned your proper place." Ash greeted, getting a fervent nod in return and grinning behind his mask. "Let's see then, open wide." He demanded, leaning forward to peer at the stub far back in the trader's mouth when he opened up obediently to show him. Whistling, Ash moved back again and the trader closed his mouth, refusing to look at Ash. "Looks good, no infection or anything. Healed up nice." The trader just nodded, looking sad, and Ash laughed, trading the last of his excess loot before leaving the market completely.

Gage caught up just before Ash left and they were well out of earshot of anyone when he cleared his throat. "So, takin' over the entire Commonwealth, huh?" Gage asked, looking at Ash. "I honestly didn't see that comin'."

"And here I thought you were a fan of the big picture." Ash teased, smiling when Gage nudged him lightly.

"Yeah, alright, wiseass." Gage said, smiling a bit. "Seriously though, we're really doin' this? We're really goin' for it all?"

"What's wrong, Gage? Don't think I can handle it?" Ash asked, looking at Gage and smiling a bit when he shook his head.

"That ain't it." He assured, looking away from Ash. "I said I wouldn't doubt you no more and I meant that." Gage paused, choosing his words carefully. "I guess I'm just shocked. I mean, goin' from barely keepin' the gangs from rippin' eachother's throats out to thinkin' about conquerin' the Commonwealth in less than a week-" He paused again, saying it out loud seeming to send him reeling again. "It's alot."

"Having second thoughts then?" Ash pressed, not entirely sure what the point of all this was.

"Hell no. I'm in this for the long haul." Gage asserted, sounding quite sure of that. "I just- you're just somethin' else, is all." He said, not looking at Ash as he said it.

Smiling, Ash put some coordinates into his Pip-Boy and took Gage's hand before triggering the relay now that they were a decent ways away from the prying eyes of Nuka-Town. "Thanks." He muttered, letting go of Gage's hand and heading towards where Shank had marked on his Pip-Boy map.

Thanks to the fairly close relay point Ash had chosen, he and Gage made good time to the Abernathy Farm and Ash drew his pistol as they neared. Gage also drew his gun and the sight of two armed strangers stepping onto their property seemed to put the farmers on alert. An older man met Ash and Gage halfway, his own gun foolishly drawn.

"That's close enough, strangers. We're a peaceful farm. We don't want any trouble." He said, making Ash smirk.

"That's a shame, cuz that's exactly what I'm here for." Ash responded, aiming his gun at the farmer. "But, I suppose if you _really_ don't want any trouble, you could roll over like a good little bitch and let me put this shock collar on you without a fuss." He offered, taking the collar Gage handed to him and showing it to the man.

"And why the fuck would I do that?" The farmer spat, glaring at Ash.

"Cuz if you don't I'm gonna put a bullet in your knee." Ash explained, cocking his pistol and grinning when the man quickly aimed his gun at him.

"What, you some kinda raider?" The man asked, looking between Ash and Gage, who now also had his gun trained on him. "Look, you can take whatever you want, but I ain't puttin' on no damn shock collar. Come on, be reasonable."

Scoffing, Gage cocked his gun. "Fuckin' coward." He grumbled, glaring coldly at the man.

"Would you like to do the honors?" Ash asked, looking over at Gage.

"I'd love to, boss." Gage said, a single shot ringing out and shattering the man's kneecap. He screamed and dropped to the dirt and Gage shot him again in the hand when he tried to raise his gun.

Looking up, Ash noticed who he presumed was the man's family coming to investigate the gunshots and trained his gun on them. "Get down or you're next." He called, humming contently when they put their hands up and knelt. "Well at least **they** aren't stupid." Ash mumbled, looking down at the man when he choked on a sob.

"Please, leave my family out of this." He whimpered, looking up at Ash.

Rolling his eyes, Ash grabbed the man by his dirty hair and dragged him over to where his family was kneeling. Depositing him in the dirt, Ash trained his gun on him again and cleared his throat. "I'm Overboss Ash and I now own all of you. I will be hereby taking your land and giving it to a select group of my lackeys. However, due to my _generous_ heart, you will be allowed to stay here and work for said lackeys." He explained, putting a sarcastic emphasis on "generous".

When the farmers didn't have anything to say, Ash nodded at Gage and squatted near the man to fit the collar around his neck. "Perfect fit." He breathed, straightening up and watching Gage fit the collar around the younger woman's neck, the older woman already collared. "Feel free to fix your knee n' shit." Ash said, walking away to pick the man's gun up and hearing Gage telling the family to hand over everything they had. It was nice having a professional with him.

Hitting a command on his Pip-Boy, Ash located the workshop on the farm and activated it, getting started on breaking down all the scrap around the farm. It took half an hour for a team of synths to arrive with all the materials they would need to make the settlement worthy of Ash's seal of approval and the moment they arrived, Ash switched from doing the work to bossing them around. Gage simply watched, a content smile on his face as he watched Ash bark orders. The man was a natural at ordering people around, really had a knack for it.

By the end of the day, the Disciples arrived and Ash walked out of the lounge area he'd had his synths build for Gage and himself to greet them. Ash couldn't see their faces, but their body language was definitely uncertain. "Don't mind my workers." He said casually, motioning dismissively behind himself at the synths busily working on the farm. "I've got beds and shit set up for all of you in the house but full renovations will probably take a week. You'll just have to deal with me being around until then."

"Uh, sure thing, boss." One of the Disciples said, motioning with her head for the others to follow her. They all made their way to the house and Ash went back to the lounge.

"Hope you don't mind a week-long vacation." Ash said, looking over at Gage.

"Not at all, boss." Gage said, grinning at Ash and taking a swig of some whiskey one of Ash's synths had gotten for him.

Smiling, Ash leaned back until there was a new task for him to oversee. The days passed like that for a week and once the week was up, Ash had his synths link the Abernathy settlement with Sanctum's food stores before dismissing them. He'd kept the giant farm in BioScience going since some of his synths needed to eat, but even with the synths eating their fill, they had alot of excess food. Connecting the settlements with Sanctum would allow the gangs to access the food from Sanctum if the farms weren't producing enough or if they simply felt like eating bland, nutritionally balanced vegetables.

Once the synths were dismissed, one of the Disciples approached him. "So, like, those really were synths, weren't they?" She asked, her tone uncertain.

Having been waiting for this conversation, Ash nodded. "Yep. In addition to leading all of you, I'm also the leader of the Institute."

"When were you planning on sharing that with us, boss?" The Disciple asked, tone now more on the aggressive side.

"Whenever you asked. Gage already knew." Ash answered calmly, tilting his head a bit. "If you don't like it or don't trust me now, feel free to leave. I don't need people who **still** question me even after all I've done for them."

Raising her hands defensively, the Disciple took a step back. "Alright, alright, you make a fair point, boss. I ain't got no problem."

"Good. Make sure the others don't either." Ash said, tone a mockery of chipper. He shook his head once the Disciple left. "Ungrateful cunts." He muttered, looking at Gage when he laughed from behind him.

"Well, it **is** a little jarrin', boss." Gage said, looking at Ash as well. "Maybe you oughta announce it formally so the other groups don't give you the same grief."

"Maybe." Ash mumbled, fiddling with his Pip-Boy. "Either way, I've gone a week without a shower, so I'm heading to Sanctum."

Snickering, Gage shook his head lightly. "I'm gonna head back to Nuka-World, let Shank know the job is done."

"Sounds good." Ash said, triggering the relay after a brief wave goodbye. Deciding to take his time once he arrived, Ash sent his clothes off to be washed and then took a long shower. Once he was clean and dry, he got onto his terminal and allocated more synths to resource gathering. So far, everything within Sanctum was running smooth without human intervention. The synths occasionally came across a hiccup, but so far they'd managed to iron any problems out before Ash even had the chance to discover he'd been messaged about it. That might've also spoken to Ash's attentiveness, but he chose to believe his maids were competent instead.

Once that was done, Ash got up and finally got dressed, putting on some baggy pants and nothing else. Heading into his makeshift workshop, Ash realized it was about time he got this place up to snuff. Using his Pip-Boy, Ash sent out an order for any synths that had spare time and weren't already on resource patrol to start renovating and included a list of things he wanted done that he'd made as he thought of them over the past few weeks.

There. Now his workshop wouldn't have to be so makeshift and he'd eventually get that balcony he'd been wanting. For now, though, Ash got to work. He started by laying out some clothes: a pair of jeans he'd dyed a darker blue and distressed, a Brotherhood bomber jacket he'd given studs and a few character-building cuts, and a pair of black ankle boots with heels that were shorter and thicker than his own boots'. Maybe Ash was a bit of a hoarder, but he'd been collecting clothes for awhile. The corpses he made didn't need them anymore and clothes weren't great scrap since most of them only gave him cloth, so he'd just kept anything that caught his eye even if it wasn't his size.

Getting out his supplies, Ash gave the clothes a bulletproof lining and the boots a shock-absorbing treatment. He still needed the shirt, but that could wait. The process took an hour thanks to Ash's considerable experience in bulletproofing and by then his clothes had been clean for awhile. Putting the clothes away, Ash left his workshop and got dressed before finally relaying to Nuka-World. When he arrived in Fizztop, Gage was already there, flipping through his book at one of the tables and smoking a cigarette.

"Hey, Gage." Ash greeted, going to say something else before an alarm started going off. "What the fuck is that?" He asked, frowning and walking over to one of the windows to see that no one was panicking about the alarm. Well, that was a good sign.

"That means someone's comin' through the Gauntlet." Gage replied, standing and putting his book away. "You're gonna wanna talk to Fritsch about it. He hangs around in the arcade."

"Oh?" Ash said, smiling a bit and looking at Gage. "What, trying to have me replaced?" He joked, laughing at the blank look Gage gave him. "Just kidding. What did Shank say?"

"Said he wasn't expectin' it to take a week. I told him you were very specific about when the settlement was good enough so it had to take that long." Gage said, walking over to the lift. "You still need to get with him to pick the next settlement we take and assign it a crew."

"Right." Ash said, boarding the lift with Gage and pressing the button. "Let's deal with that Gauntlet runner first." Glancing over to see Gage nod, Ash led the way to the Nuka-Town Arcade, having passed it many times but having never gone in. Well, not in the last two-hundred years, anyway. He'd been in once, during his first trip. It'd been too loud and too crowded and he'd had to leave after ten minutes, but he'd been inside. Once he was inside, he was relieved to find the music wasn't as loud as when he was nine and the only person inside was the man he was assuming was Fritsch. Ash gave him a nod in greeting and he nodded back.

"Hey there, boss. You heard the alarm, right?" Fritsch asked, grinning. "That means someone's in the Gauntlet. Looks like a real tough one too." He added, raising his eyebrows at Ash. "What happens next is up to you. You can take 'em on yourself in the arena or I can make sure our little rat never gets out of the maze."

Scoffing, Ash didn't even have to think about it. "What kind of overboss runs from a challenge?" He asked, grinning behind his mask. "Let 'em through."

"Hell yeah!" Fritsch yelled, grinning broadly and sounding quite excited. "No better way to earn a raider's respect than kicking some ass in front of a crowd. Just head for the arena whenever you're ready, boss."

"I'll be heading over right away." Ash informed, cracking his knuckles just for the effect of it. "Seems rude to keep 'em waiting." He added, leaving with Gage and jumping lightly when the alarm sounded again. It was followed quickly by a voice Ash hadn't gone nearly long enough without hearing.

"You know what that sound means! Everyone get your asses down to Cola-Cars!" Douche called over the speakers around the park, making Ash cringe.

"I forgot about needing to kill him." Ash muttered, glaring around at the speakers above him.

"Come on, boss, you can't still be **that** upset about the Gauntlet." Gage said, raising an eyebrow when Ash shot him a look. "Or maybe you can be." He muttered, shaking his head a bit. "Look, either way, you can't kill Red-Eye. Raider Radio is good for morale."

Rounding on Gage, Ash tilted his hat back so he could look at the taller man properly. "That motherfucker has a fucking radio station?" He demanded, tone disbelieving and annoyed.

Raising his hands defensively, Gage took a step back. "You never noticed?"

"No!" Ash said, laughing a bit and fixing his hat. "Who the fuck would want to listen to that annoying, condescending, douchey fucking voice talk between songs?"

"Uh, about that," Gage started, blowing out a puff of air as Ash looked at him slowly. Ash was shorter than him and easily eighty pounds lighter, but damn if he wasn't intimidating when he was angry. "he sings."

"No." Ash said calmly, turning around and ignoring the perplexed look Gage gave him.

"Yea-"

"No." Ash interrupted, walking to Cola-Cars. "No."

Sighing, Gage gave up and simply followed Ash. Upon entering Cola-Cars, Ash found quite the assemblage already there with yet more people pouring in from the other entrances. In a foul mood and ready to take it out on someone, Ash shrugged off his pack on the way to the entrance of the arena and tossed it aside near the terminal that controlled the doors. Next he shrugged his coat off and tossed it aside too, drawing his knife and walking out into the arena to the sound roaring applause.

Taking his position at the terminal, Gage closed Ash in and then released his opponent; some guy with a laser weapon and a Stealth Boy. The stealth field making the man invisible didn't slow Ash down though. Paying close attention to where the beams were coming from as he got a few burns on his stomach, Ash ran up to his opponent and swung wildly, knowing he'd cut him from the cry of pain.

It only took three stabs for Ash to hit something vital and the man dropped, gurgling, to the floor. As soon as he died, his stealth field stopped working and Ash was bombarded by uproarious cheers from the crowd. Staying where he was, Ash waited for the applause to die down and then cleared his throat, projecting from his diaphragm like he'd learned in his theater classes so long ago.

"I have an announcement." He declared, his voice coming out nice and loud. "I'm the leader of the Institute." Ash said simply, pressing some commands on his Pip-Boy to summon a couple synths to himself while his audience decided how to react. "If that changes your opinion of me, feel free to try taking me out. I won't tolerate disloyalty, so you won't be missed when I kill you for it. My synths obey me and me alone and they won't kill anyone I don't tell them to. Feel free to feel threatened anyway, and by all means, spread the word. That is all." Ash finished, turning to his synths. "Dismissed."

After his synths disappeared in a flash of blue light, Ash walked over to the door Gage had already opened for him and picked his coat up. "They're awfully quiet." He muttered, slipping his coat on.

"I think they're in shock." Gage muttered back, frowning a bit. "When you said you had a plan, this isn't what I thought you meant."

"Well, it wasn't. But then the opportunity presented itself." Ash said, shrugging and putting his backpack back on after stabbing himself with a stimpak to get his mild laser burns healing. "Seemed like an opportunity I shouldn't miss."

Nodding a bit, Gage took a breath. "Guess we better get movin', then." He said, finding it easier and easier to shrug off Ash's antics and keep moving with every new stunt he pulled.

Humming in agreement, Ash left Cola-Cars, surprised that there wasn't an angry mob waiting outside for him. People had started leaving while he and Gage had been talking, so there'd been time to get an impromptu mob going. Maybe next time. Making his leisurely way to the market, Ash found Shank.

Nodding in greeting, Shank immediately pulled out his notebook and flipped a few pages. "Ready to get another settlement under your thumb, boss?" He asked, smirking when Ash nodded. "Alright. Next closest populated settlement- well, it's a little different. See, it's owned and operated by robots. A buncha Handies."

"Oh joy, my favorite." Ash said sarcastically, sighing and holding his wrist out. "I'll make due, just mark it for me."

"Sure thing, boss." Shank said, obeying Ash and marking the settlement on his map. "Which gang you givin' this one to?"

"Pack." Ash answered easily, deciding that even though he didn't like their leader, they deserved a slice of the Commonwealth and that **since** he didn't like them, their slice could be the one populated by annoying robots. Assuming Ash could keep himself from killing them. "Gage and I will be leaving immediately, send the Pack over whenever they're ready to move."

"Understood." Shank said, holding a hand up. "Oh, and before you head out, in case Gage neglected to tell you, your cut of any caps and other goodies the outposts pull in are waiting in your quarters, in that big red chest."

"Cool." Ash responded, setting up the relay right there in front of Shank. "That all?" He asked, getting a nod from Shank and holding his hand out to Gage. The older man took his hand and Ash had just enough time to catch the raised eyebrow from Shank before he triggered the relay and he and Gage were gone.

"Really just layin' it all out there, huh, boss?" Gage asked, for once not sounding even a little upset. No annoyance or aggravation or nervousness, just a calm sort of acceptance. He was finally learning.

"Yep. I was just about sick of hiding it from everyone, anyway." Ash replied, adjusting his position and starting off for Graygarden. Having relayed them fairly close to their destination, it took Ash and Gage less than an hour to arrive. The moment Ash saw the Handies buzzing away at the crops, he cringed. "I fucking hate robots. I hate Handies the most."

"How'd you wanna handle this one? We can't exactly threaten their knees like the last one." Gage asked, walking up beside Ash and drawing his gun anyway.

"I'm gonna take a crack at reprogramming them." Ash responded, getting the connecty-bit of his Pip-Boy ready. "You distract 'em."

"Can do, boss." Gage said, walking forward and getting the first Handy's attention. It started to talk to him and Ash moved in.

Walking up behind the robot, Ash quickly located the port he needed and plugged his Pip-Boy in. The robot made an annoying little surprised sound but then went silent as Ash started poking around in its programming. He had to crack an encryption or two, but soon the Handy recognized him as the administrator and from there it was easy to reprogram it to serve him and, by extension, the Pack.

Giving Gage a thumb's up after he removed the connecty-bit, Ash moved on to the next Handy and then the next and then the next. It barely took ten minutes to get them all hacked and under his control. Once that was all done, Ash put a command into his Pip-Boy and then got to work with the workshop. Once his synths arrived, things proceeded much like they had with the previous settlement.

It took the Pack a little over a day to arrive at Graygarden, and when they did, they looked just as put off by the synths busily building up the settlement as the Disciples had. Even though he had a strong feeling the interaction was going to suck, Ash walked over to the Pack members hovering at the border of the settlement.

"Those are my synths. They won't bother you. Beds are in that shack over there, make yourselves cozy." Ash informed, pointing to a rather large shack a ways back on the property.

"So it's true, then?" One of the Pack spoke up, frowning at Ash. "You really are with the Institute."

"No. I **am** the Institute. As in the leader. Get it right." Ash corrected, deciding he didn't care if he split hairs with the Pack after all the grief Mason had given him their first meeting.

As predicted, the Pack members bristled but surprisingly kept their tempers in check. "Right." The one who'd spoken earlier bit out. "My bad, boss."

Ash watched as the group trudged off towards the shack and he shook his head. _Jackasses._ Going back over to Gage, he plopped down on his lounge chair and angrily lit up a cigarette, taking his mask off in order to enjoy it. "I hate those guys." Ash mumbled after a long drag, the smoke exiting his mouth as he spoke.

"Yeah, everyone does." Gage said, flipping through an old Guns n' Bullets magazine. "But, like I said before, you ain't gotta like 'em."

"Yeah, yeah." Ash grumbled, burrowing into his chair angrily.

The Pack members wisely stayed out of Ash's way for the rest of the time he was there overseeing the synths. There was much more to do to make Graygarden habitable than there had been to make Abernathy habitable so the renovations took two weeks instead of one. Ash had to break half-way through because a week was his no-shower limit, but he'd returned much faster than the last time. He couldn't risk things falling apart while he was gone, after all. Ash'd come too far for those Pack idiots to do something stupid like fuck with his synths while he wasn't around and mess up everything he'd done so far.

Once the two weeks were up, Ash and Gage left for Sanctum together. Since Gage had lived his whole life in the wastes, he was much less averse to being dirty than Ash was, but since a nice, hot shower was an option, he decided he might as well. While Gage was showering, Ash had his laundry synth bring him Gage's shirt and he gave it a quick ballistic weave before letting the synth take it to wash it. He also sent along the other clothes he'd prepared and told the synth to replace Gage's clothes with those ones once everything was clean. Ash wasn't sure Gage would appreciate him meddling with his fashion sense, but he could always take his other clothes back if he didn't like what Ash made him.

Once both men and their clothes were clean, Gage found Ash waiting in his quarters. He was wearing the grey Institute clothes he always had to change into while his clothes were being cleaned and he had the new outfit in his hands. "Hey, boss, did you do this?" Gage asked, walking into Ash's room since the door was open and Ash was right there on the couch.

Trying not to smile, Ash nodded. "Did you try them on?"

"No. Thought there was mix-up or somethin'." Gage responded, looking at the clothes in his arms with a frown. "What's this about then?"

Shrugging, Ash stood up and took the jacket from the top of the pile, shaking it unfolded so he could make sure the synth had listened and not patched up the intentional tears. They indeed hadn't, but they had cleaned up the edges a bit in what appeared to be an attempt to keep the tears from getting bigger. That was fine. "I just thought you'd look good in these. I made them bulletproof so you don't have to worry about not being protected." He said, setting the jacket back on the pile and looking up at Gage. "Just try them on. If you don't like them, I'll have a synth bring you your old clothes."

Looking down at the pile again, Gage sighed a bit. "Alright." He muttered, walking into Ash's bathroom and closing the door behind him so he could change.

That made Ash roll his eyes. You'd think with how different the world was, stupid little things like changing in front of people wouldn't be as big of a deal, but whatever. Ash supposed he'd just never had that sense of shame. Getting naked, or almost naked in most cases, in front of even complete strangers had never phased him. It was just skin, what was there to get all worked up about? Pulling himself from his internal ranting when Gage exited the bathroom, Ash couldn't help but smile.

"Does it all fit?" Ash asked, even being able to see that he'd guessed Gage's size perfectly. Maybe he could've done something with his interest in clothing if the war had never happened. _What a pointless thought_.

"Yeah, it fits." Gage said, looking down at himself before noticing a full-length mirror near the restroom. He looked into it and Ash saw his eyebrows raise in surprise. "Huh." Gage muttered, turning a bit.

"Do you like them?" Ash prompted, coming closer to admire his stud-work on the arms and shoulders of the jacket now that they were actually being framed on a person.

"Yeah." Gage muttered, offending Ash with how surprised he sounded. He tugged on the lapels of the coat a little and cracked a smile, looking away from himself. "I feel like one of those stupid fuckin' Atom Cats greasers." Gage mumbled, shaking his head a bit.

"Well, you look hot." Ash said, his eyes widening in horror when he realized what he'd said. While his brain began to buzz and Gage looked at him in surprise, Ash began to wonder if he'd _lost_ his brain-to-mouth filter or if it'd never developed in the first place. Could he get it fixed? Was it something he could develop over time with enough practice?

"Uh, thanks." Gage mumbled, looking back to the mirror and stuffing his hands in the jacket pockets. Cracking another grin, Gage snorted and looked away again. "Good lord. I don't know if I can do the jacket." He said, shaking his head at his reflection. "I feel stupid."

Taking the opportunity to pretend he hadn't just told his subordinate who was twice his age that he looked "hot", Ash shrugged lightly. "You probably won't be able to wear it in the summer, anyway, but I think it pulls the outfit together."

Humming, Gage nodded a bit. "Well, thanks, boss. I, uh, I appreciate the new duds."

_Duds_. Fucking hell, that was still a thing? "No problem." Ash muttered, turning away to hide his pleased expression and collecting his bag. "Ready to go?"

"Lemme just get my shit." Gage said, starting to leave the room but stopping when he realized how much noise he was making. Looking down at his boots, Gage suddenly realized the heels were higher than any he'd ever worn before despite not being that high at all and frowned a bit. He tried to walk quieter, but it was difficult not to make noise with the clunky heels. Still, he didn't hate them. They looked nice. Deciding he and Ash didn't engage in stealth much anyway, Gage got his bag and returned to Ash, ready to go.

The two of them relayed together, Ash setting their point so they appeared in front of Shank who jumped lightly at the sudden appearance. He gripped his chest a little and offered Ash a slightly nervous smile. "That's gonna take some getting used to." He said softly, watching Ash with a raised eyebrow as he looked around suspiciously. "You alright there, boss?"

"Just waiting for the ambush. Or the coup. Or the revolt." Ash responded, almost seeming disappointed when he wasn't shot from afar or something. "I take it the gangs got over the whole "Institute" thing already?"

"Well, I wouldn't say they're **over** it, but there hasn't been any rioting in the streets if that's what you mean." Shank said, frowning at the relieved look on Gage's face. "Wow, you two were really preparing for the worst, weren't you?"

"There's been rioting for less." Gage said defensively, Ash thinking he was joking until Shank nodded like he had a good point.

"I'm sure the gang leaders wouldn't mind you paying them a visit to clear up any questions they might have, but I haven't caught wind of anything traitorous yet." Shank said, taking out his notebook. "Back to business, though. I take it Graygarden is yours?"

"Yup. I realize I didn't have to make it as nice as I did since I gave it to the Pack, but it's been given my seal of approval regardless." Ash responded, smiling a bit when Shank snickered softly at his dragging of the Pack.

"Alright. If we're going on the way we've been goin', the next settlement for the taking is Oberland Station. It's a shitty little settlement, so you'll have your work cut out for you, but it only has two settlers, so that part shouldn't be too hard." Shank said, looking up from his notes to Ash.

Nodding a bit, Ash held out his Pip-Boy. "This one'll be for the Operators." He said, pulling his arm back after Shank had given him the coordinates.

"Sounds good, boss." Shank said, making some notes in his book before closing it.

"I guess I'll talk to the gang leaders before I head out, so hold off on sending any Operators out until tomorrow, alright?" Ash said, mentally preparing himself for dealing with Mason. It was worse now since Gage would be around this time. He'd been able to threaten Mason freely the first time, but now he'd have to deal with Gage's mother hen act if he lost his temper. Or maybe Mason had learned his lesson and wouldn't be such a shit this time. The thought almost made Ash laugh. People like Mason didn't learn, he'd learned that much from his brief seventeen years before the war.

"Sure thing, boss." Shank responded, watching Ash and Gage leave before going back to his book. Ash would either smooth all this over and be back out there in no time or they'd soon be in the market for another new overboss. Either way, he was excited to hear how each meeting went from his informants once they were over.


	18. In-Between Nuka-World

Chapter Specific Characters: Porter Gage, Nisha, Mags Black, William Black, Mason, Red-Eye, Shank, Tabitha "Tabs" (Original Character)

* * *

Squaring his shoulders more so he'd feel imposing than because he thought anyone would be fooled by it, Ash left Shank and started making his way to Fizztop Mountain. There was a point just after he'd passed up the Zoo that he thought Gage wasn't going to question him, but that was a stupid thought and Ash felt stupid for thinking it.

"Uh, Pack's **right** here, boss." Gage said, still following Ash but looking confused.

"Yep. Sure is." Ash answered, still walking determinedly past the Zoo.

Frowning at Ash's back, Gage wanted to question him more, but it was clear Ash wasn't going to talk to Mason first. When Ash had said he hated the Pack, Gage didn't think it was **this** bad, but now he found himself wondering if something had happened between Ash and Mason that first night. Mason wasn't exactly known for his manners, after all, and Ash had proven himself to be someone with a very low tolerance for just about anything that could be considered even mildly annoying. Still, it couldn't be **that** bad, could it? Ash hadn't killed Mason, after all. Letting out a light sigh, Gage realized he'd have to wait until they got the other two gangs out of the way before he found out.

Arriving at Fizztop Mountain fairly quickly, Ash walked into the Disciples' base and walked up to the first Disciple he saw. "Where's Nisha?" He demanded, nodding once when she pointed to an elevated part of their base. At first Ash walked over but then he saw the ramps were made out of that damn hole-ridden metal and he shook his head. "No." He mumbled to himself, stepping back and looking up to find a Disciple leaning over the railing on one of the further up the ramps, smoking a cigarette. "Hey, smokes!" Ash called, getting the Disciples' attention and putting one hand on his hip. "Tell your mistress if she wants to chat about my announcement, she needs to come down here."

The Disciple hesitated but then made a huffing sound and started walking up the ramp. Behind Ash, Gage laughed softly. "Wow. Pretty ballsy, boss."

Looking over his shoulder at Gage, Ash raised one shoulder in a half-shrug. "I'm the fucking Overboss, so if I don't wanna climb up that many flights in these fucking heels, I don't have to."

Nodding, Gage looked up and was surprised to see Nisha coming down the ramps. "Sure don't, boss." He agreed, motioning with his head for Ash to look up.

Doing just that, Ash let out a sigh of relief and relaxed his posture. "Oh good." He mumbled, only barely loud enough for Gage to hear. "I really didn't wanna go up there, but if she would've refused to come down, I would've."

Stifling a confused sort of laugh, Gage quickly schooled his face into a neutral mask and tried to look disinterested as Nisha stopped in front of Ash.

"I hope you have answers for me since I came all the way down here." She practically growled, the lack of response on Ash's part surprising Gage. Maybe he should've gone with Ash that first night because now he was very curious about how Nisha had managed to get Ash to take that from her without so much as bristling. Clearly that night had been eventful and Gage had missed out on it.

"About that, let me just say, first and foremost, the Disciples are my favorite gang." Ash started, his voice coming out surprisingly even. "I fully intend to give you the majority of the Commonwealth turfs and I would really, _really_ hate for an unpleasant attitude to fuck that up for you." The threat was there, clear as day, and Nisha shifted a bit once it was all out there, seeming a bit surprised by Ash's boldness.

"I see." She said softly, recovering quickly and crossing her arms over her chest. "All I want is an explanation. I think you owe us **all** that much at least."

Nodding, Ash tilted his hat back so he could look at Nisha properly. "I was contacted by the Institute and made it about two days into working for them before I killed everyone and took over. The Institute isn't a thing anymore, it's just the synths that are left and they all obey me." Ash explained, keeping his eyes where he figured hers were behind her mask so he wouldn't start searching her body language for some indication on how she was taking the information. "That's it. I use them for resource gathering and building stuff out here and when they're in what used to be the Institute, all they do is maintenance."

"Well," Nisha started, pausing and shifting her weight to one foot as she pondered Ash's words briefly. "that's alot less dramatic than your big announcement made it seem like it was going to be."

"Yeah." Ash agreed, shrugging. "So that's it, the synths are just glorified maids and when I say I lead the Institute, I really just mean I'm their boss."

Humming a bit, Nisha shrugged. "Alright." She said after a bit, uncrossing her arms. "I look forward to you making good on the Disciples getting the majority of the Commonwealth turfs."

"I'm sure you do." Ash replied, fixing his hat. "Is there anything else I can clear up for you while I'm here?"

"No." Nisha responded, already turning to head back up the ramp. "So long as everything you just told me is true, you don't need to worry about the Disciples."

Deciding not to respond, Ash turned to Gage and let out a barely audible sigh. "How'd I do?" He practically whispered, tilting his head to the side so he could look at Gage without adjusting his hat.

"Surprisingly good, boss." Gage said, smiling when Ash frowned at him. "Sorry, but I been travelin' with ya long enough that I expected alot more knife-brandishin' than that."

Frowning more, Ash looked away. "Fair." He conceded begrudgingly, leaving Fizztop and heading for the Parlor. Once he arrived, Ash walked up to the table Mags and William were currently sitting at and held up a finger to them before they could say anything. Taking a deep breath, Ash lowered his finger and spoke first. "Before I let you get into any questions, comments, or concerns that you have about my affiliation with the Institute, let me just preface this discussion by saying the Operators are next in line to get a slice of the Commonwealth **and** as you two are the most polite of the bosses, I have high standards for the civility of this meeting that I'd be very disappointed to not have met." He said, getting it all out in one breath. After he was done, Ash took a quick breath and then motioned at Mags. "Proceed."

Blinking slowly, Mags leaned back a bit in her chair and motioned to the one Ash was near. "Would you like to have a seat, boss?" She asked politely, hiding an amused look as that seemed to take Ash by surprise.

Pulling the chair out, Ash sat down and tilted his hat back so he could look at Mags properly with the new angle. "I sort of expected more passive aggression than that." He muttered, slumping in his seat, his naturally bad posture contrasting with the prim way Mags and William held themselves.

"Despite not having a Commonwealth territory to claim as our own yet, the Operators feel secure in our place." Mags explained, folding her hands on the table. "It's clear the Disciples are your favorite gang and that leaves either us or the Pack for second and, well, come on." She said, laughing softly and shaking her head.

"Not a hard decision. Not for a smart man." William said, leaning back in his chair and eyeing Ash but looking just as calm as Mags.

"Well- I mean, I wasn't gonna go **announcing** favorites like that, but, yeah, the Operators are definitely my number two." Ash admitted, resisting the urge to fidget with his hands.

"As for your affiliation with the Institute, it really doesn't matter to us who else you work with so long as your top priority is Nuka-World." Mags continued, tone and face pleasant. Not quite friendly, just pleasant.

Nodding a bit, Ash finally lost the ability to resist and began to pick at his burn scabs under his sleeve. "No questions, then? Nothing? Just "remember where your priorities need to be"? That's it?"

"That's it." Mags assured.

Ash looked to William and William shrugged. "Huh." Ash muttered, shrugging as well and standing up. "Well, cool then. Bye."

"Goodbye."

Leaving without another word, Ash glanced back at Gage once they were a fair distance away from listening ears. "Did that go weirdly well too or was it just me?"

"No, that went- well, it went great." Gage said, sounding just as surprised as Ash felt. "I honestly didn't expect the gangs to take any of this **this** well."

"Right?" Ash agreed, stopping abruptly once he realized he was a few steps from the entrance to the Zoo. Before Gage could ask him what the hold up was or something, Ash took a deep breath, squared his shoulders again, and walked in, quickly making his way past the members of the Pack and to their leader. Stopping in front of Mason, Ash rested one hand on his hip, not so subtly gripping the hilt of his blade as he did so. "Speak." He ordered, already sounding annoyed.

Glaring down at Ash, Mason straightened up on his throne. "Don't much like that tone of yours, boss." He growled, eyes narrowing more when Ash laughed.

"Well, ain't that a fuckin' shame?" Ash asked loudly, not caring who heard like he knew Mason would. "Good thing I'm the Overboss and I can talk to you however I fucking please." He said, tilting his hat back almost violently and looking at Mason with eyes that almost appeared on fire for how bright they looked. "Do you have any questions about my involvement with the Institute or can I leave this shithole?"

Gritting his teeth, Mason stood up. "Maybe we should take this somewhere private." He bit out, only doing a slightly better job than Ash at controlling his temper.

"Why? Am I embarrassing you in front of your savages?" Ash asked, opening his arms wide. "I'm here, you're here, this is where we're talking. Now either start talking or sit the fuck down." He finished in a growl and lowered his arms, glaring at Mason and daring him with his eyes to try and win this battle.

Meanwhile, in the background, Gage was having a silent, invisible panic attack. Ash was **definitely** picking a fight with Mason, a man twice his size, and there was no way Mason would back down. If he didn't rise to Ash's challenge, his place as Alpha would be called into question and there was no way Mason would allow that. The way things were panning out, Ash was going to start a war and there was no way he could stop it because if he stepped in and made Ash calm down, that would be undermining the Overboss in front of Mason. That would be bad for Ash's position. Essentially, shit was about to go down and all Gage could do was watch.

Then, much to everyone's surprise, Mason laughed. He let out a surprisingly calm laugh and plopped down on his throne. "Alright, boss, no need to flex so hard." Mason drawled, doing his best to look amused even as he tried to incinerate Ash with his eyes. "The Pack's got concerns, alright, but it ain't got nothin' to do with your people-snatchers."

"That's not what they're used for anyway." Ash pointed out, annoyed but much calmer now.

Mason just hummed at that, which made Ash bristle, but he continued on before the teen could start yelling again. "I wanna know if you plan on doing right by the Pack. We're sorta behind on the turf front here, after all."

Sneering behind his mask, Ash glared at Mason. "The Pack'll get what it deserves."

"See, that's the thing though." Mason said, leaning forward to look at Ash. "I think our ideas of what the Pack deserves are two very different ideas."

"I wouldn't doubt it." Ash said, tilting his head and grinning. "You do have the mental aptitude of a mole-rat after all."

A vein in Mason's forehead popped out as he clenched his jaw. "You know, _boss_, I'm starting to get the idea that you don't like us all that much." He said, voice coming out surprisingly even.

"Close. I don't like **you**." Ash said, coming an inch from poking Mason as he pointed at him. "I couldn't give less of a shit about your little crew, but **you**, **you** I can't fucking stand."

"Well," Mason growled, standing again. "maybe we oughta do something about that." He finished, coming down from his perch to stand in front of Ash.

Tossing his pack to Gage, Ash shrugged his coat off and threw it aside. "Maybe we should." He agreed, not appearing to be the slightest bit intimidated by the idea of fighting Mason.

"Whoa now, hold on-" Gage started, getting cut off when Ash held his index finger out to him.

"No. He's been asking for this since I got the damn job." Ash said, focusing back on Mason.

"Why don't we take it over to the arena? Make it official." Mason suggested, motioning at the large cage in the middle of the Zoo.

"Never was big on official." Ash replied, drawing his knife and lunging at Mason.

Moving back quickly, Mason managed to not get hit by Ash but lost his footing on the stairs behind him. While he regained his balance, Ash cut a gash into his chest, staining his tank top with blood and making him hiss in pain. Drawing the machete he kept strapped to his lower back, Mason blocked Ash's next attack and bared his teeth at the shorter man. "You really think you're gonna beat me in a knife fight? Look at you!" He shouted, motioning at Ash with his free hand. "You're barely tall enough to look my fuckin' nipples in the eyes and you're skinnier than a-"

Not giving Mason the chance to finish his trash-talking, Ash attacked with a new ferocity, swinging his knife wildly while advancing on Mason. The next time Mason blocked his attack, Ash jumped back and kicked Mason as hard as he could in the stomach. The older man coughed and stumbled back, gripping his stomach with one arm and keeping his defense up with the other. "I think I'm gonna kick your fuckin' ass." Ash finally replied, taking his hat off and throwing it aside. "Or die trying."

Snarling, Mason lunged forward, machete raised. He wasn't expecting Ash to raise his arm to block the attack, but that's exactly what he did, the machete getting wedged in his arm as it hit the bone. Even as he cried out in pain, Ash jerked his arm to the side, disarming a very surprised Mason, his machete flying away in the opposite direction. Left arm bleeding profusely and hanging limply by his side, Ash pinned Mason to the wall he'd been backing him up against by pressing his knife to his throat.

"Shit! Whoa, okay, b-" Mason started, raising his hands in surrender but getting cut off as Ash slit his throat as deep as he could.

Letting out a shuddering sigh, Ash moved back to let Mason's body drop. "Fucking told you." He growled, sheathing his knife quickly and gripping his bleeding arm. Just like the last time he got into a knife fight, when Ash started to sway on his feet, Gage was there, lowering him to the ground safely and sticking a stimpak into his arm.

"You stupid, reckless, crazy son of a bitch." Gage mumbled to Ash as held the bloody chunks of his arm together to help them heal faster. "I swear to god if you don't stop almost-dying, I'm gonna fuckin' strangle you." He growled, stabbing Ash with another stimpak since he wasn't healing fast enough.

As the shock around the Zoo started to wear off, Gage forced Ash onto his feet and stood back, trying to let Ash stand on his own so he didn't seem weak. Though he swayed a bit, Ash did manage to stay upright and it got easier when he stabbed himself with a Med-X syringe. "Alright." He grumbled, taking his knife back out and glaring around at the crowd forming around him. "Who's next?"

"Motherfucker." Gage muttered behind Ash, drawing his gun.

Luckily everyone looked hesitant and uncertain. "No one?" Ash asked, slowly getting his fire back as he stopped losing blood. "Okay, good. Here's how this change in management is gonna work. For now, you savages are in charge of yourselves. No gods, no masters, that kinda deal. I'll let you figure out for yourselves who your new Alpha is gonna be and if you all tear eachother apart fighting for it, even better." There were murmurs within the Pack as Ash's words set in but still no one attempted to make a move on Ash himself.

"You have until I come back to figure your shit out. If there isn't a new Alpha by then, I might just decide you lot can't follow orders well enough to be kept around." Ash continued, picking up his discarded hat and putting it back on. "Or, you could do something stupid and revolt or some shit and get yourselves killed. Up to you." He finished, looking over at Gage. "Could you get my coat?"

"Sure thing, boss." Gage replied, a little reluctant to leave Ash's side after all that but going to retrieve his coat anyway. Much to his surprise, the Pack members who stood in his way parted for him, shooting him uncertain glances but otherwise mostly looking at eachother. He returned to Ash's side and handed the coat over, still on edge even though it seemed very much like the Pack wasn't going to do anything.

Slipping his coat back on, Ash hauled his pack over his shoulder and left the Zoo. The moment the gate closed behind Gage and himself, it was like someone dropped a match onto a pond of gasoline and Ash peaked back in to see what the sudden commotion was. The Zoo had turned in an instant into a giant brawl. Apparently the Pack was taking Ash's order to fight the Alpha position out amongst themselves seriously. The noise drew nearby Pack members and Ash moved out of their way so they could join in. He didn't even think they knew what was going on and weren't just eager to fight.

Shaking his head, Ash walked away from the Zoo and reached into one of the pockets on his coat. Pulling out a park pamphlet, Ash studied it for a bit and then put it away. Orienting himself with the assistance of his Pip-Boy, he charted a new course. They were halfway to their destination when Gage realized where they were going and spoke up.

"We aren't going where I think we're goin', are we, boss?" Gage asked, frowning and seeing the Raider Radio station in the distance.

"I guess that depends on where you think we're going, Gage." Ash replied, his tone making Gage wish he hadn't spoken up.

It was another few minutes before Gage tried again, his voice coming out quieter and tone softer as he tried to navigate the minefield that was Ash's emotions. "Look, boss, you know I'm with you no matter what, right?" He asked, waiting for Ash to respond and sighing lightly when they went a minute or so in silence. "Well, I am. I just wish you'd- I dunno, **tell** me stuff sometimes before rushin' in guns blazin'." Taking a step back when Ash suddenly spun around, Gage braced himself and was more alarmed when Ash didn't immediately start yelling and instead stared him down for a bit.

"I'm sorry." Ash said after staring at Gage for a solid minute. "I didn't go into the Zoo with the intention of killing Mason." He explained, looking away and taking his hat off so he could run his fingers through his hair. It was getting long, he'd need to get it trimmed before summer or start wearing it up. "He just- the first night I met him, he was so- and then now, the fucking nerve, and- I just-" Ash cut off, making a stabbing motion with his hand before slumping a bit, shoulders sagging. "I mean, did I fuck everything up?" He asked softly, looking up at Gage through his eyelashes.

Feeling an unfamiliar, uncomfortable feeling in his chest, Gage had to resist the urge to hug Ash. "No. You didn't fuck everythin' up." He tried to laugh, the resulting noise sounding hollow even in his own ears. "Least I don't think you did. Seems like the Pack took to your idea of electin' a new Alpha just fine."

"What if the new one is a douche too?" Ash asked, looking away again. "What if I stab this one too?"

Biting his bottom lip, Gage decided "to hell with it" and pulled Ash into a hug. The younger man stiffened up and Gage held his breath while he waited to get stabbed or shoved or yelled at or all three. When none of that came and Ash slowly relaxed, Gage sighed lightly in relief. "Then you stab 'em." He said softly, racking his brain for a time he'd ever had to comfort Colter like this. "I ain't mad that you killed Mason, I figure that fucker musta had it comin'." Nope. Never. He'd never so much as had to give Colter a comforting pat on the back. "Suppose I just wish you were less impulsive is all." Then again, Colter had been an emotionally stable thirty-something, not a screw-loose teenager.

"I'm about to kill Red-Eye and announce some stuff on the air once I'm done." Ash mumbled, the voice in his head that told him to do dumb shit telling him to shove Gage away, tell him to mind his own damn business, and do whatever the hell he wanted like he always did. "I'm gonna announce what I did and what I told the Pack and tell everyone the radio station is open to whoever wants to DJ it."

Smiling a bit, Gage nodded. "Alright. Sounds good, boss. Might be good to get some new blood into the radio." He said, releasing Ash easily when he started to pull away.

"Thanks, Gage." Ash said softly, turning away quickly and continuing the trek to the radio station.

Deciding not to say anything, Gage simply continued to follow Ash. In truth, it was a shitty fucking idea born from a level of pettiness that Gage simply couldn't wrap his mind around. It wasn't as if Ash was the only person to ever get taunted by Red-Eye while running the Gauntlet. Hell, half the appeal of watching someone run was listening to the jokes Red-Eye cracked while they did it. Yet Ash was taking it all very personally. Furthermore, given the fact that the radio station's location wasn't a secret and Red-Eye hadn't been murdered yet, it felt safe to say that the raiders liked listening to him. Ash had pulled far too many stunts in the past few weeks to be taking yet another risk.

However, Ash had also gotten them this far. It could be argued that he'd **earned** the right to take a few stupid risks and see how it panned out. At this point, even though it hadn't been that long, Gage was getting tired of worrying about how Ash's brash decisions would end up effecting him and was beginning to lean more towards "strap in and see what happens". So, he'd tried the logic route and he'd been shut down. Well, now it was time to try the "let the screw-loose teenager do whatever the hell he wants and see what happens" route. He was uncomfortable on this route, but damn it all to hell and back if it wasn't easier than fucking worrying.

Before Gage knew it, they were inside the broadcasting studio for Raider Radio and Ash had Red-Eye on his back against the table that held his microphone, one hand beside his head and the other holding his knife to Red-Eye's throat. Red-Eye was babbling and Ash was clearly not listening as he leaned over the man, looking more imposing than Gage had ever seen him. Or maybe he'd just never noticed how Ash looked when he was staring someone down. He usually didn't get a look at Ash's face, after all, almost always witnessing Ash's wrath from behind. It took Gage a moment to force himself to tune into what Red-Eye was saying and when he did, he realized the DJ was talking to him.

"C'mon, Gage! Tell 'im it wasn't anything personal!" Red-Eye practically begged, hands held up defensively and eyes looking at Gage pleadingly.

"Tried that. He don't care." Gage responded dryly, shrugging. "You **are** pretty annoying."

"Shit, shit, c'mon, man!" Red-Eye shouted, looking back up at Ash pleadingly and swallowing hard when the huge knife against his throat drew blood.

"Where's all that confidence I heard over the air?" Ash asked coldly, his pleased expression hidden by his mask when Red-Eye whimpered.

"That's all for the show, man, I don't mean anything by it! It's what the people want!" Red-Eye assured, cutting his eyes to Gage occasionally as if hoping he'd step in before Ash could kill him.

Leaning in closer, Ash drew a high, pained whine out of Red-Eye when his knife pressed deeper, drawing more blood. "I'm over here, bitch, not over there." He growled, feeling a zip of excitement he hadn't felt in awhile when tears started to form in Red-Eye's eyes.

"Please don't kill me." Red-Eye practically whimpered, choking on a desperate sound as he was treated to a front-row view of Ash's eyes lighting up.

Letting out a slow breath, Ash eased up, slowly moving back and watching as Red-Eye looked at him uncertainly before slowly straightening up as well. When Red-Eye went to say something again, Ash suddenly slit his throat, getting sprayed in the face by blood due to the force and his proximity. Red-Eye's eyes widened and he clutched his throat as he fell to his knees, bleeding out quickly after his body hit the floor fully.

Closing his eyes, Ash took a deep breath and then picked up the microphone he'd knocked over when he'd shoved Red-Eye back onto the table. Checking it, he saw that it was on, that it'd likely been on the whole time. "This is Overboss Ash with a few announcements." Ash said, his voice coming out steady despite the slight trembling in his hands. "First of all, Mason is dead. He was an ass anyway, no big deal. To all Pack members, that means the position of Alpha is open. I believe it's been decided that you'll fight for it." He paused, sheathing his knife and taking another breath. "In lighter news, the position of Raider Radio DJ is now open to the public." Ash paused again, thinking, and then abruptly turned the microphone off. "Good enough."

Practically refusing to look at Gage, Ash left the radio station and made his way back to Nuka-Town. Gage didn't say anything and the only reason Ash even knew the man was still trailing him was because Gage was a loud walker. Once they made it to Nuka-Town, Ash walked up to Shank with the intention to tell him they were heading out early and that he could send the Operators, but when he arrived, he overheard a Disciple talking to him.

"They're threatening to tear the place apart if we don't get the hell out of there." She said, sounding mildly annoyed. "It's cute, but irritating."

"Then I guess we'll just have to let them know who they're dealing with." Shank practically purred, his tone making Ash's skin crawl. He didn't mind that Shank was weird and creepy, but he couldn't help his body's natural reaction to being creeped out. "You did good. Now get going. The adults are gonna discuss this."

Surprised when the Disciple left without saying something feisty, Ash walked up to Shank. "What was that about?" He asked, fighting down the weird surge of happiness he'd felt when Shank had counted him among "the adults". No one but Gage knew his age, but he still felt defensive about it even as he tried to tell himself that the only validation he needed was his own.

"Figured this would happen sooner or later." Shank sighed, looking only slightly annoyed under his neutral mask. "One of the outposts' caught the attention of some of our new neighbors in the Commonwealth. An outside crew of raiders think we're honing in on their territory. Sounds like they're planning to tear the place up, and our people with it." He paused, a knowing grin slipping in to replace his mask. "Suppose this provides us a good opportunity to make an example. You thinking what I'm thinking?"

""Mayhem and destruction" is what I'm thinkin', for what it's worth." Gage added, his voice sounding off to Ash, like he was fronting. _For Shank_, Ash realized, he was trying to act like everything was normal for Shank.

Ash had suspected Gage and Shank had something going on between them for awhile and every time the two of them interacted, Ash's suspicions only grew. Gage never seemed like himself around Shank, like there was an image he needed to portray for the man but he couldn't figure out why Gage felt that way. Or maybe **this** was the real Gage and he only seemed off because the man Ash knew was the one who was constantly worried about being the person to light the powder keg that was his temper. Realizing he needed to say something, Ash nodded. "They're as good as dead."

"Only language raiders in the Commonwealth understand: force." Shank said, his voice mostly cold but with a tinge to it that Ash recognized as something akin to pleasure, like he _really_ liked the idea of Ash tearing those rival raiders a new asshole. "You should probably head over as soon as possible. You wouldn't want to keep our new friends waiting, after all, wouldn't be neighborly." He said, his voice soft and tone almost playful. Ash was almost impressed by how much Shank creeped him out. He thought **he** was sadistic, but it was like Shank **lived** for this shit.

Simply nodding, Ash put the coordinates for Abernathy Farm into his Pip-Boy and reached back to grab Gage's hand before triggering the relay. They arrived near the shaded lounging area just off the farm and a Disciple immediately came over to greet them. Well, "greet" was a strong word considering it was a Disciple, but it good enough for Ash.

"Good, you're here. We spotted a pretty shady group nearby. Could get company any minute." She said, gun at the ready and sounding surprisingly on edge.

Just as Ash was about to say something, another voice called out from the outskirts of the property. "Who's in charge around here!? I'll tear their heart out!" The person who was likely the leader of the rival gang yelled, stomping up to Ash and Gage and the small group of Disciples that kept the farmers in line.

Before the leader could say more, Ash drew his shotgun and decorated the other raiders that had come along with their boss' brain. The shooting started a beat later and in less than three minutes, only because two of the raiders were wearing power armor, the rival raiders were dead. Ash mixed with his back-up plus the turrets set up around the property meant the rival gang hadn't stood a chance.

"It's like they didn't even see all the turrets I set up. Did they really think this was going to end well for them?" Ash mused, nudging one of the corpses with his foot and shaking his head.

"Fuckin' raiders." Gage muttered, looking over as one of the Disciples approached again.

"Thanks for the assist, boss." She said, the words coming out with a surprising ease. Ash would've expected it to be like pulling a tooth to get a Disciple to show gratitude. Had they actually been worried about the other raiders?

"Sure." Ash replied hollowly, taking Gage's hand once more and triggering another relay. When they came out somewhere in the Commonwealth instead of back at Nuka-World, Gage spoke up.

"Do you think we oughta tell Shank that gang's been taken care of?" He suggested, following behind Ash as he started walking.

"He'll get the news, we're starting on Oberland." Ash responded, trading his shotgun for his pistol as he approached the two women tending the crops. Gage didn't respond and Ash cocked his gun to get the farmers' attention. "On behalf of the Nuka-World raiders, this farm and everything on it now belongs to me. That includes you two." He informed, holding his hand out and showing them one of the shock collars when Gage handed it over. "So if you would kindly surrender and let me and my right hand here fit these on you, I won't have to shoot you."

When the women looked at eachother uncertainly, Ash took aim for one of them and they both quickly put their hands up. "Whoa, whoa! Alright, we surrender!" One of them yelled, both of them dropping to their knees when Ash motioned with his gun for them to get down.

Fitting the collar he had on the one who'd spoken up, Ash left Gage to do the rest while he got to work with the workshop. Just like the times before that, once the synths Ash sent for arrived, they took over the heavy-lifting while Ash supervised. It took a few days for the Operators to arrive and a few weeks for the settlement to be Ash-approved. Shank had been right when he'd said Ash would have his work cut out for him on this one, but he got it done regardless, only needing to break every so often to freshen up in Sanctum.

Things had been a little awkward between Ash and Gage for those three weeks. Though he wasn't really sure, Ash had a feeling Gage was waiting to get him alone so he could give him one of his "serious talks". Then again, he'd had several opportunities to follow Ash to Sanctum and hadn't taken them, so maybe he was just mad? Ash realized in those three weeks that he wasn't good at social interaction or navigating the apparently intricate delicacies of having a friend. Not that Gage knew they were friends, that was still Ash's burden to bear alone.

Regardless, things were a bit tense and Ash was waiting for the dam to break so he could stop feeling weird about looking at Gage. "So, I'm gonna head to Sanctum before I get around to Shank." Ash informed once the fixing up of Oberland was finished, deciding to keep his eyes on his Pip-Boy as he spoke.

"Sure thing, boss." Gage replied, his tone sounding neutral enough. "I'm gonna go on ahead and check on some things around Nuka-World."

Humming his acknowledgment, Ash relayed away. It was noonish and spring was finally starting to reclaim the wasteland so it had been a bit warm. That didn't stop Ash from taking an almost painfully hot shower, but it did make him leave his coat off when he got dressed. He still brought it along just in case, but it was folded up in the bottom of his pack, out of the way.

While lingering around Sanctum for a bit longer, Ash realized his hair was really far too long. He'd never liked for his hair to get long enough to touch his shoulders and it was damn near there. Ash's hair was fairly thin, likely due to his poor eating habits, so it was dry enough to be trimmed by the time he hunted down a pair of scissors. Standing in front of the mirror in his restroom, Ash got to work. It didn't look _good_ once he was finished, choppy and uneven in places, but it was shorter and that's what was important.

After wiping himself down with his shower towel to get all the loose hairs off himself, Ash finished getting dressed and finally left Sanctum. When he arrived in front of Shank, Gage was there and they were in the middle of a discussion that cut off rather abruptly. Trying not to feel too annoyed or overly suspicious, Ash nodded once at the duo.

"Hey, boss." Shank greeted, slipping as easily as ever into his neutral mask. "Heard from Gage this one didn't get you either. Figure I shouldn't be surprised at this point."

"The danger of the situation was pretty exaggerated." Ash replied blandly, his mood apparently being conveyed through his tone if the look Gage and Shank shared was any indication.

"Well, it's good to have an Overboss with some stones." Shank said, the ease with which he hid his emotions even without the aid of a mask annoying Ash and making him feel begrudgingly impressed.

"Sure." Ash muttered, the words not really registering with him. "So, how's the whole radio thing working out?"

"Great. So far the gangs've been doing a good job of sharing the air. Dixie's real popular, she tells stories." Shank shrugged, looking just the faintest bit perplexed. "People seem to be real into that."

Nodding a bit, Ash finally decided to get to the part he'd been dreading the most over with. "How's the Pack?"

Grinning, Shank gave Ash a coy shrug. "Think you should see that one for yourself, boss."

Frowning, Ash glared at Shank for a bit before sighing. "Alright." He muttered, turning and leaving. Faintly, Ash heard Gage say something to Shank, though he didn't quite hear what, and then there was the sound of Gage's heels tapping on the concrete as he jogged to catch up to Ash. He didn't bother to greet Gage and simply kept walking, hesitating only briefly before walking into the Zoo.

The lack of blood and bodies was the first thing that struck Ash as surprising. It looked like the Pack hadn't changed. Walking slowly up to the throne, Ash finally got his first look at the new Pack Alpha. She was about as big as Mason but when Ash approached, she grinned at him and it leant her an aura of considerable approachability when compared to Mason.

"Hey, boss." She greeted, standing from her throne and jumping off her platform to stand before Ash. "Name's Tabitha. You can call me Tabs. I'm the new Alpha."

"Clearly." Ash replied, his tone coming out surprisingly light. "I can already tell you're going to be a step up from the old Alpha, but I'd like to hear it from your mouth."

Grinning a crooked sort of grin at Ash, Tabs nodded a bit. "Fair. Don't worry, boss, I don't plan on sassing you like Mason. I saw what happened to him and I'm not stupid."

"Good. In that case, I'm sure we'll get along just fine." Ash said, getting another grin from Tabs before she returned to her throne. Leaving the Zoo, Ash finally spoke to Gage. "She has good energy. I hope she works out."

"Me too." Gage muttered, suddenly catching Ash by the arm and pulling him into a fairly secluded space between buildings.

Yanking his arm away, Ash shot Gage a nasty look. "I don't-"

"Like to be grabbed, yeah, I recall." Gage interrupted, not so subtly blocking Ash's only escape from the alley. "Look, things've been weird since the whole Red-Eye incident and I feel like that's partially my fault. I probably over-stepped my bounds outside the radio station." He said quietly, trying to keep their conversation from attracting outside attention. "You gotta let me known if that's the case though, boss, I ain't a mind reader."

Blinking slowly, Ash looked away, having to resist the urge to fidget as he suddenly became very uncomfortable. "I'm not mad that you hugged me." He mumbled, suddenly realizing what the problem was when his adrenaline spiked. He was trapped. The alley was too small. Everything was getting warm. Grabbing Gage's hand, Ash relayed them to Sanctum and took a few steps back while he caught his breath. "It h-it helped."

Swaying a bit from the sudden relay, Gage looked at Ash quizzically before a look of realization dawned on his face. "Shit. I forgot about the whole "small spaces" thing." He muttered, watching as Ash calmed down. "Sorry."

Shaking his head, Ash let out one last shuddering breath before straightening up. Taking off his hat and mask, he looked at Gage properly. "I'm not upset because you hugged me or because you threatened to strangle me or because you bitch and moan and question how I run everything after **you're **the one who gave me the damn job." Ash said, pausing to take a breath. "I'm upset because all that shit doesn't annoy me." He said, too revved up to be embarrassed about what he was admitting just yet. "I like having you around and-" Ash swallowed, his mind catching up to him quickly. "-and I value your input, alright? I've never cared about what another person thinks of me or how I do things, so-" He sighed and looked away from Gage's surprised face. "-so I don't know how to handle suddenly caring."

Letting out a sigh of relief, Gage managed a laugh. "Well, at least I ain't next on the list." He said, tone only half-joking.

"List?" Ash frowned, looking up at Gage.

"Your hit-list."

"How dare you assume I'm organized enough to make a list." Ash dead-panned, cracking a smile when that made Gage laugh.

"So, we're alright, then?" Gage asked, sobering up and catching Ash's eyes. "I don't need to start pussy-footin' around you?" Ash shook his head and Gage nodded. "Alright." He then paused, suddenly looking uncomfortable himself. "Uh, thanks, by the way." Gage mumbled, not looking at Ash anymore. "It's, uh, it's good to know you "value my input"."

Nodding a bit, Ash put his hat back on and held his hand out to Gage. "Ready to get this ball rolling again? I think we have a few more Commonwealth settlements left to take over"

"Just a few." Gage replied sarcastically, taking Ash's hand and catching the smile on his face before he fixed his mask and triggered the relay that would take them back to Shank.


	19. The Break Part 1

Chapter Specific Characters: Porter Gage, Shank, Captain Zao, Wiseman

Chapter Specific Warnings: Non-explicit sex, mentions of ghoul racism

* * *

By the time Ash and Gage came out of the relay and found themselves in front of Shank, it was getting dark. They wouldn't have time to start on the next settlement tonight, but they could get it lined up for the next morning. As Ash and Gage approached, Shank shot Gage what Ash assumed was a very meaningful look and Gage suddenly snapped his fingers.

"Got somethin' important to tell you once we're done here." Gage told Ash, shooting Shank a glare when he snickered and shook his head.

"Well, I'm assuming you're here to pick out the next settlement we're taking." Shank said, pulling out his book and flipping a few pages. "Next closest is Tenpines Bluff."

"Disciples." Ash said, holding out his wrist for the coordinates once Shank finished scribbling in his book. "We'll head out first thing in the morning."

"Sounds good, boss." Shank said, closing his book and putting it away. "I'll send out the Disciples nice and early."

Turning to Gage, Ash put a hand on his hip, trying not to sound as annoyed as he felt. "So, what now?"

"Good news this time, boss." Gage answered, a smile playing his face. "The gangs finally got the power plant up and runnin'. We just need one Overboss to press the button and we'll finally be able to light this place up."

"Oh." Ash said, the news really sinking in a second later and making him perk up a bit. "Oh. Alright, lead the way." He said, walking beside Gage as he lead the way to the Nuka-World power plant. When the sun dipped below the horizon fully, it got harder to see and that made the perfect excuse for Ash to flip on his Pip-Boy's flashlight, the small screen surprisingly bright given their dark surroundings. He pretended not to notice some of the tension easing out of Gage's shoulders as they continued on.

By the time they reached the top of the power plant, it was nice and dark outside, the perfect time to get the lights turned on. Ash rested his hand over the button but paused, looking over at Gage. Grabbing Gage's hand, Ash laid it over the button and then pressed down, looking out over the horizon as the lights around Nuka-World slowly came on, illuminating the park for what must've been miles.

"Wow." Ash mumbled, jumping lightly when the first blast of fireworks shot up over the Galactic Zone. Quickly turning around, Ash ran out of the building that housed the button and the many control panels he didn't dare even look at funny let alone touch and before Gage could even follow him out, he was hauling himself up onto the roof of the building. Ash sat down and Gage joined him shortly after, sitting beside him and joining him in watching the fireworks.

At some point, Ash got a bottle of liquor from his bag and opened it up. He took a drink and offered it to Gage. Gage took a gulp from the bottle and they simply sat like that for awhile, passing the bottle back and forth and looking out over Nuka-World even once the fireworks had ended. Eventually Gage spoke up, breaking the comfortable silence they'd been sitting in.

"Nuka-World all lit up." He sighed, leaning back on one arm with his legs stretched out in front of him. "It's god damn beautiful."

Smiling, Ash nodded. "Yeah." He agreed, sighing lightly in contentment. "It sure is." He'd abandoned his hat and mask awhile ago, the hat having been obscuring his view and the mask blocking his easy intake of liquor. It was just him and Gage, after all, and Gage already knew Ash's secret, so he could relax around the older man.

"It ain't just the lights, boss. Now that everything has settled down with the Pack, there's not much left to stop us." Gage said, looking over at Ash. "We've made one hell of a mark on the Commonwealth and despite everything that's happened, the gangs are stronger than ever."

Glancing at Gage out of the corner of his eye, Ash shrugged, a playful smile on his lips. "All in a day's work for the Overboss." He half-joked, smiling more when Gage laughed softly and turned back to the view before them.

Silence fell again for a time before Gage spoke up again, his voice soft and thoughtful. "I took a big chance helpin' you take down Colter." He started, still looking off into the distance. "Glad that paid off. You know the real difference between him and you? The reason that the rest of us are behind you?" Gage asked, looking over at Ash again.

Actually looking at Gage this time, Ash gave another shrug. "Cuz I'll slit your throats if you're not?" He guessed, a smile playing Gage's face as he shook his head.

"It's cuz you were willin' to bleed for us. You put your neck on the line to get us ahead in this shitty world and believe it or not, that means somethin' to us." Gage informed, a look Ash didn't recognize on his face.

Trying for a smile despite how the air suddenly felt sort of heavy, Ash tilted his head to the side a little. "And here I thought it was because of my roguish charisma and natural leader skills."

Cracking a grin, Gage laughed and shook his head. "Ya got the charisma of a deathclaw with a toothache, boss."

Gasping in offense, Ash straightened up from leaning back against his pack. "Rude!" He declared, pouting when Gage started laughing again. "I'm charismatic!"

Snorting, Gage shook his head. "No." Raising both eyebrows when Ash shoved him playfully, Gage shoved him back, putting considerably more force behind his shove and grinning when Ash tipped over.

Eyes narrowing, Ash got up just enough to tackle Gage. The two men rolled around wrestling for dominance for a bit before Gage managed to pin Ash down. He grinned triumphantly and Ash glared up at him, though there was still a ghost of a smile on his face.

"I win." Gage declared, their position suddenly dawning on him when Ash shifted in an attempt to get free. He was between the teen's legs, pinning his hands beside his head, and hovering over him. Once Gage's face got serious, Ash seemed to have the same realization and he swallowed audibly, his eyes meeting Gage's when the older man looked down at him.

They stayed like that for a moment, just holding their position and looking into eachother's eyes before Gage released Ash's wrists. He started to get up but Ash moved faster, sitting up just enough to connect their lips in a kiss that Gage was just liquored up enough to return. In a clearer headspace, Gage might've considered the consequences. In a clearer headspace, Ash might've realized they'd drank an entire bottle of bourbon between them and that they might be just a little too tipsy for this. As it was now, though, neither Gage nor Ash wanted to think about consequences or good decision making. As it was now, they just wanted eachother, and damn everything to hell and back if that's not what they were going to have.

Once they'd had just that, Ash and Gage lay spooning, Gage playing the big spoon with his arm stretched out to provide Ash a pillow and his other arm draped lazily across the teen. The liquor and the strenuous activities they'd just taken part in were making both men sleepy, but that didn't stop Ash from finally deciding to get something off his chest.

"Are you and Shank fucking?" He asked quite randomly, the question making Gage choke on nothing in particular.

"Why would you think that?" Gage asked, sounding surprised.

"You two have weird chemistry. Like you're always two seconds from jumping eachother but you're trying really hard to front like you don't like eachother." Ash mumbled back, too tired to worry about how it made him look as he pressed closer to Gage.

"We, uh- yeah." Gage admitted quietly, sounding slightly embarrassed. "I mean, we ain't in love or nothin', n'fact we usually can't stand eachother, but we, uh- we screw around sometimes."

Ash hummed at that and Gage had nearly drifted off when Ash's voice brought him back from the edge of sleep. "Shank is creepy."

"Yeah." Gage agreed sleepily, too sleepy himself to worry about anything as he nuzzled his face into Ash's hair and wrapped his arm tighter around Ash's probably too-skinny chest.

"Night, Gage."

"Night, Ash."

The next morning Ash and Gage were woken up by the sun rising over Nuka-World. Ash sat up first and frowned at how gross he felt. It took him a bit to remember he'd been rolling around on a filthy roof he'd then proceeded to sleep naked on. That was probably why he felt gross. Ash was just reaching for his pack when his stomach lurched and he had to swallow against a wave of nausea. He hadn't eaten anything yesterday except for a can of stale crisps for breakfast and his body apparently didn't appreciate his decision to then drink half a bottle of liquor.

Rummaging through his pack, Ash got out a bag of radstag jerky and started on it. When Gage sat up slowly behind him, Ash held a second bag out to him. After Gage stared at it for a moment, his sleepy brain clearly trying to make sense of the offering, he took it and started eating.

"Thanks." Gage mumbled, getting a can of water from his own pack and downing half of it in one go. The fuzzy details of the night before got clearer as he drank and when Gage lowered his water can, he saw that he and Ash were indeed naked. They'd definitely fucked. "So, uh, about last night." Gage started, dreading whatever talk was about to come next.

"Mmhm." Ash hummed around a mouthful of jerky. When Gage was quiet longer than Ash thought he ought to be, he turned and saw that Gage looked like he was trying to figure out how to diffuse a bomb blindfolded. "What's with the face? We just fucked. It's not like we got hitched or some shit."

Looking up at Ash in surprise, Gage took a moment to respond. "So, no weird feelings, then? Nothin' we need to discuss?"

"Nope." Ash said, popping open a can of water for himself and drinking the whole thing in one go. "I might have more questions about you and Shank, but _we're_ good."

Smiling a bit, Gage nodded, laughing softly in disbelief after a moment. "I thought that would be much more painful."

Snorting, Ash rolled his eyes and got up to begin collecting his clothes from around the roof. "I never understood getting sappy about sex."

Blinking a few times in surprise, Gage shook his head and started collecting his own clothes. Go figure. The one time Gage had **expected** Ash to act like an emotionally unstable teenager and he was handling all of this with the grace of someone who had meaningless sex often. _Meaningless_. Gage frowned, feeling an annoying twinge in his chest as he buttoned his jeans. Last night definitely hadn't been meaningless, but damn if it wasn't easier to pretend it had been.

Snapping his Pip-Boy into place and otherwise remaining nude, Ash looked over at Gage. "I'm going to clean up at Sanctum before we head out. You wanna come along?"

"Yeah, I could prolly use a shower." Gage said, taking Ash's hand when he offered it.

Once they'd parted ways and Ash was taking a nice hot shower, he allowed himself to smile. He'd been wanting to jump Gage's bones for awhile and he'd finally gotten to. It'd been nice, oddly comfortable, nothing like the borderline savage sex he had with Pickman on occasion. He'd even done a good job of playing it off, kept his faulty filter from letting out something that would've made things awkward. It was when Ash was drying off and _still_ smiling like an idiot that he realized having sex with Gage hadn't helped with the crush he'd developed on him. On the upside, he quickly stopped smiling when he realized it'd made it worse.

"No wonder Nate and Nora hated you." Ash muttered to himself, tossing his towel aside. He then looked to the decomposing corpse of Shaun, barely recognizable now. "They would've liked you. You were very stable." Ash looked away, putting on some pants so he could go out to his new balcony and have a smoke without worrying about stray ashes burning his dong. "Nothing like your big brother." That made Ash snort and he looked down, shaking his head at himself.

Ash was just about done with his cigarette when a synth came in with his clothes. He put the butt out on his arm, adding to the collection of burn marks, and flicked the crumpled stub into an ashtray. After getting dressed, Ash left his room for Gage's and met him halfway, Gage apparently also having the idea to see if Ash was ready to go once he'd gotten his clothes.

Pulling up the coordinates Shank had given him, Ash moved his relay point far enough away that the flash of their arrival wouldn't be noticed by the settlers and then relayed with Gage. After a short walk, Ash and Gage were doing the familiar song and dance of getting the settlers to let them collar them. It took shooting one in the leg like it usually did, but then Ash got to work, proceeding as usual. The Disciples arrived in a few days and the fixing up of the farm took a few weeks.

Tenpines Bluff was officially claimed and Ash moved onto Greentop Nursery. This one was given to the Pack and was considerably easier to deal with thanks to there only being one settler on the property. He surrendered when Ash started waving his gun around and was collared. The fixing up of Greentop only took one week thanks to there already being a house on the property and the Pack arrived within six days to make themselves at home. Things were going smooth and moving steadily but their progress came to a bit of a halt once Ash returned from taking Greentop.

"'Fraid I'm gonna have to ask you to leave Gage with me for awhile." Shank said, looking almost stressed behind his neutral mask.

"Why?" Ash asked, frowning a bit in confusion at Shank.

"There's some numbers things that need taking care of. The old Overboss never liked doing that shit, so Gage took it over." Shank said, shooting Gage a decidedly annoyed look. "He's been busy, so he delegated that responsibility to me. I'd be handling it just fine too, but I can't fucking read his handwriting."

"Seriously?" Gage asked, glaring at Shank.

"It's like if someone gave a feral a pencil and tried to make it do math." Shank grumbled, looking away from Gage.

Ash for his part was trying not to laugh and cleared his throat in an attempt to keep the smile from his voice. "I guess I could use a break from conquering the Commonwealth." He said, looking at Gage. "You stay here and get whatever needs to get done done and I'll pick you up when you're finished."

"Sounds good, boss." Gage said, holding his hand out to Shank and getting a book that looked alot like the one Shank always had on him. "How should I let you know when I'm done?"

"Relay to Sanctum and let a synth know, they'll come get me."

"Alright. Don't get into too much trouble without me." Gage said, smiling a bit at Ash.

"No promises. Try not to have too much fun _accounting_ while I'm gone." Ash replied sarcastically, plugging some random coordinates into his Pip-Boy.

"You have my word." Gage replied, a hint of a sigh in his voice as he shot Shank a look. He'd been looking forward to not having to do the books at least until he and Ash were done conquering, but apparently it wasn't to be.

Snickering a bit, Ash left in a flash, coming out of the relay on a road. He picked a random direction and started walking. He followed the road until it opened up to docks and then followed the docks, looking out over the water in between shooting mirelurks that popped out of the sand to try and eat him. Ash was passing by what was probably once a boat rental place when he heard a child's voice shouting about seeing something. Curiosity overcame Ash's dislike of children and he approached slowly, locating the child but trying not to be located by them.

As quiet as he tried to be, Ash's boots didn't lend themselves well to stealth and the kid turned when he heard him approaching. At first he looked uncertain, but then he quickly relaxed and even offered Ash a smile. "Did you see it?" He asked excitedly, motioning Ash closer and pointing out at the water. "The big eye in the water?"

Frowning, Ash looked out at the water and raised his eyebrows when something raised up out of the water, lingered for a moment, and then retreated. "The fuck?" He muttered, leaning over the dilapidated railing in front of him.

"It's a sea monster!" The kid shouted, sounding equally afraid and excited. "Do you think it's dangerous? It hasn't attacked anyone yet, but maybe it's just waiting." He said, looking out over the water suspiciously.

Rolling his eyes, Ash lifted one foot up onto the railing. "Only one way to find out." He said, stepping up onto the railing fully and diving into the water before he could lose his precarious balance. He swam over to where the "eye" was, having to swim around some debris, and found himself standing atop a submarine. Curiosity thoroughly piqued, Ash entered the submarine, drawing his shotgun once the water had drained out and opening the door that would let him go further.

As Ash walked into the submarine, he spotted someone manning what he realized now was the telescope. They heard him coming and when they turned around to look, Ash saw they were a ghoul. Quickly lowering his shotgun, Ash came a few steps closer and then let the ghoul close the remaining distance, both of them looking equally uncertain of the other.

"I watched you talk to a boy on the dock and swim out here." The ghoul said, deciding to be the one to break the silence. "You appear- able. But not a threat. No. Come in _he ping_?" He asked, apparently able to tell Ash didn't understand from the tilt of his head even with half his face covered. "Ah- peace?" He tried again, having to take a moment to think of the word.

"Oh. Uh, yeah. I was just curious." Ash replied, putting his shotgun away and tilting his hat back a bit. "I'm not here to hurt you or anything."

The ghoul laughed, grinning at Ash. "Curious cat gets murdered." He said, tone joking. "But, no fear. No murder. No _wei xian_. Not from Captain Zao." He guaranteed, becoming serious as he regarded Ash. "Why are you here? War is over, long over. And my Yangtze holds no _bao wu_. No- treasure. Nothing for you to plunder."

"Like I said, I was just curious. I'm not here for looting." Ash said, trying to look non-threatening. He normally wouldn't have cared, but after finding out that most of the people of the Commonwealth treat ghouls poorly, Ash had made the solemn resolution to not be one of those people. "My name is Ash, by the way."

Humming lightly, Zao regarded Ash once more. "Pirate or raider would have attacked by now. I accept your _gu shi_ as true." He said, not knowing how wrong he was about the raider part and Ash deciding not to correct him. "Your arrival is good _xingyun_ for me. I need help, you see. Yangtze is not- ah- seaworthy. You will help me fix her?"

Smiling a bit, Ash gave a light shrug. "Sure." He'd never fixed a submarine before, but there was no time like the present to learn how to, he supposed.

Face lighting up, Zao gave a delighted laugh. "Yes! Thank you. _Xie xie_, my friend." Calming down, Zao got serious again. "First problem, Yangtze has no power. If we get reactor working, probably enough. There is damage to a, um- dampening coil. Bad damage. Need new coil. I have information, intelligence from war time. Dampening coils are at facility called- Saugus Ironworks."

"Alright. I'll get you a new coil then." Ash assured, not sure where Saugus Ironworks was but knowing he'd be able to find it on his Pip-Boy's map since it was pre-war.

"I will work on repairing bridge control system. Much _gong zuo_." Zao said, offering Ash a smile before returning to the controls.

Looking down at his Pip-Boy, Ash located Saugus Ironworks on the map and set a relay point for nearby. Not wanting to frighten Zao, he moved into the exit chamber and closed the door before triggering it, hoping that the thick metal would dim the flash and muffle the noise enough. As Ash approached Saugus, he saw the telltale signs of a raider infestation and drew his shotgun.

That turned out to be a smart move as Ash was immediately beset by raiders. They weren't much of a problem except for one who surprised him by having a flamethrower and burned his exposed midriff pretty badly before Ash blew her head off. After fighting his way through the raiders outside, Ash made his way inside and realized while fighting through another wave of raiders that he didn't know what a dampening coil even looked like. Once the section he was in was clear, Ash looked around and didn't find anything he couldn't identify so he hacked a terminal and made his way to the next section of Saugus.

More raiders and a turret and still nothing Ash couldn't identify. Then he saw signs for a restricted area and shrugged to himself. Worth a shot. Entering the restricted area, Ash walked in on some kind of conversation, or maybe an argument. He didn't care and instead of listening in, he opened fire. The only one that even stood a chance was the one guy in power armor and even he fell to Ash since he wasn't wearing a helmet. No one ever wore a fucking helmet.

Searching that section, Ash finally came across something that looked promising. With nothing else in the room standing out to Ash, he left, hoping that he'd gotten the right part as he relayed to the little in-between room in the Yangtze. Opening the door, Ash walked up to Zao and decided based on his lack of confusion or fear, the door must've done the trick for stifling his relays. "Is this what you're looking for?" Ash asked, holding up the part to Zao.

"That is it!" Zao declared excitedly, laughing and taking the part from Ash. "_Youxiu. Youxiu_. Now, to get- nuclear fuel. Seems simple enough, but do not be deceived. Two-hundred years ago, I launched all of Yangtze's high-yield nuclear missiles as ordered. For two-hundred years, I have lived with that guilt, that shame. So much fire. Such _bei_." He said, closing his eyes for a moment before opening them again and carrying on. "But one missile failed to launch. You must go down, remove the warhead, then bring it to me."

"Alright." Ash said, already heading towards the door that would take him further into the Yangtze when Zao stopped him.

"I admire your spirit, but I must warn you. There is danger. Wei _xian._ Old crew- still down there. Not okay like their captain. Worse. They do not harm me, but they will kill you." Zao warned, looking nervous, like he thought this information might make Ash bow out. "I-I cannot kill them. Still, they are my crew, my family. _Jia ren_, all of us. But you must do what you must do."

"I'm not gonna hurt your family, Zao." Ash assured, offering the man a smile he couldn't really see. "I'll get that warhead and no matter what it takes, I won't hurt your family."

Looking like he didn't quite believe Ash, Zao nodded. "While you are getting warhead, I must prepare reactor. Do not die."

Nodding, Ash took his boots off and left them nearby. He then slung off his pack and fished out a Stealth Boy. Ash didn't do stealth, but he'd found one of these once and he'd decided to hang onto it just in case. Now seemed like the perfect time to use it. Activating the Stealth Boy, Ash crept into the belly of the Yangtze. He needed to move fast since the Stealth Boy wouldn't last long but he also had to try and be quiet. Determined to keep that balance and his promise to Zao, Ash made it to where the missiles were held and got the unfired warhead.

Letting out a silent breath, Ash made his way back to Zao, successfully making it back with the warhead without having to bring any harm to Zao's crew. "I did it." He said softly, not wanting to alert the crew to his presence even though he should be safe now. Ash padded over and handed the warhead over, smiling proudly. "One warhead and one unharmed crew. Just like I promised."

"I cannot thank you enough for sparing them." Zao said, sounding choked up and taking a moment before he spoke again. "Now, here is what you must do. Head down to the reactor. Take dampening coil and warhead with you. First, insert the dampening coil **carefully**. _Xiao xin_. Then, put warhead into the reactor. As you do that, I will monitor power levels from the control room." He explained, raising a finger to emphasize that the next part was important. "**Do not** put warhead in first. Do that? _Si wang_. Death, for all of us."

"Coil first, got it." Ash confirmed, realizing the area he needed was past the door keeping Zao's crew below. Luckily, it was _just_ past the door, so Ash felt confident that he could get the warhead and coil in place without alerting the crew. Creeping past the threshold, Ash did just that, installing the coil and then the warhead and feeling the submarine rock lightly as the power came back on. Letting out another silent sigh, Ash quickly made his way back to Zao.

"Was not sure my beautiful Yangtze would hold together." Zao said, sounding choked up again. "But we did it. You are a capitalist. I know you expect payment for services." He started, pausing when Ash shook his head.

"No. I'm not and I don't. It was my pleasure to help you, Zao." Ash said, currently putting his boots back on.

"Please. I have no wish to bring weapons back home." Zao said, holding out some devices to Ash. "Take these, ah- transponders. Each one acts as a homing signal for a missile I can fire from my Yangtze. Only small, tactical nukes, but you should still get far away as possible. Throw transponder like a grenade to activate it, then wait for _baozha_."

Sighing softly, Ash nodded and took the devices. "Okay." He conceded, getting his boots zipped up and standing. "Safe travels, Zao."

"Many thanks. I look forward to seeing my _Zhongguo_ again. I will set sail soon, you should get ashore. Farewell, Ash. I must admit, I have met worse Americans."

Laughing softly at that, Ash tipped his hat to Zao and left. Swimming back to shore, he found that the kid was still there, or there again, Ash wasn't really sure which. Deciding he might as well finish what he started, Ash reluctantly walked over, trying not to cringe at how excited the kid looked.

"Did you fight the monster? I didn't hear anything." He asked, sounding a little disappointed but still mostly excited.

Unable to help himself, Ash grinned. "It swallowed me as soon as I got too close to it." He lied, taking his knife from his belt and brandishing it dramatically. "I had to use my knife to cut its heart out from the inside." Ash had expected tears, not more excitement.

"Whoa!" The kid shouted, practically bouncing on his heels. "That's so cool! I wish I could've watched. You can't see it very well from here." He complained pouting a bit and making Ash laugh incredulously. Whoever this kid's parents were should probably watch out, Ash wasn't sure he was entirely right in the head. Not that he was one to talk about being right in the head, but still.

"Well, maybe next time there's a monster you'll be big enough to kill it yourself." Ash offered, finding he didn't hate this kid.

"That would be so cool." The kid breathed, grinning excitedly and running off down the docks. Likely to get into trouble.

Taking that as his opportunity to escape, Ash quickly relayed to a recent set of coordinates, finding himself back outside Saugus Ironworks. Since it was only a little after noon, Ash decided he still had plenty of time to cause trouble so he picked a direction and started walking. A settlement started forming in the distance as Ash walked but he kept his gun holstered. He wasn't gonna go conquering without Gage around to handle the professional parts that he always neglected to deal with. Didn't mean he couldn't look around though.

Walking onto the property, Ash looked around and saw it was yet another Commonwealth settlement with no security. Gage was right, farmers were dumb. As he got closer to the house on the property, Ash finally caught some words of conversation and it made him pause. When he looked closer at the people down in the pool picking berries and the ones over farther tending crops, he realized they were all ghouls. Suddenly very grateful that he wasn't on a conquering run, Ash continued his approach, trying for the second time that day to appear non-threatening.

Much to his surprise, conversations didn't end when he walked by the pool and he actually got a few friendly smiles from the people down below. Unable to return the smile, Ash waved, surprised these ghouls weren't more wary of a random non-ghoul on their property. Stopping just short of the crops, Ash looked around again and noticed a ghoul coming towards him with a decidedly warm expression on his face.

"Welcome to the Slog!" He greeted cheerfully, spreading his arms out as if to encompass the property before lowering them and stopping near Ash. "We're the only tarberry bog in the Commonwealth." He informed, smiling when Ash looked around again. "What do you think of the place?" He asked, sounding somewhat hopeful.

Resting his eyes on who he assumed was the leader of the settlement, Ash tilted his hat back a bit. "It's clever. I've definitely never seen anything like it." He replied, tone coming out light and friendly. If Gage had been around, he'd have probably thought Ash was sick from how nice he'd been all day.

"I appreciate you saying so." The leader said, sounding quite pleased. "When I came across this place, it was the first time I'd seen anything like it. It seemed like a shame not to use it for something." He said, letting out a pleased sigh as he looked around. "You've probably noticed it's only ghouls around here. I used to live in Diamond City until that rat bastard mayor threw me and all the other ghouls out." He informed, a tone of anger coloring his voice and face before he sighed lightly and calmed back down. "I decided that we ghouls should have a place where we could feel welcome, and that's mainly why I started up this farm."

Feeling a rage boiling up inside himself that he'd gone quite some time without feeling along with a familiar itch on the palm of his hand, Ash grit his teeth. "I fucking hate people." He snarled, trying to calm himself since he was quite a ways from Diamond City and any throats that deserved slitting.

"They're not all bad. We've met plenty of traders who aren't bad." The leader said, seeming surprised by Ash's anger. "I mean, some of them come from pretty far away just to trade for our produce." He paused for a beat, as though considering something, and then carried on, sounding a little more tentative now. "Still, I think we can do more. What if this place could be more than just a refuge for ghouls who aren't welcome elsewhere? What if it could also be an example of what we can do when we put our minds to something and work together? We want this to be a place that everyone looks forward to visiting, with smiling faces, good bargains, and great produce." He paused, taking a moment seemingly to gauge Ash's reaction which was nearly impossible thanks to the mask. "Maybe we could make people take a second look, you know? Maybe then they'd see that we're not monsters."

Nearly choking on a whole host of conflicting emotions, rage, sadness, fierce protectiveness, Ash nodded softly, trying to will his voice to come out steady. "I think that sounds real cool." He said, voice only coming out slightly more strained than he would've liked.

"Do you really think so? Because if you do, we could definitely use some help." The leader said, sounding so hopeful that Ash would've slaughtered an entire town then and there if that would've been his request. "We can't sell tarberries without traders, and trade caravans need safe roads. There's a gang of super mutants that's been preying on anyone who comes near their turf, including traders. It'd be a great help to us if you could take care of those brutes once and for all."

Seeing the perfect opportunity both to help and to at least curb his need to spill blood even if not satisfy it, Ash nodded once. "Those fuckers are as good as dead."

Smiling despite Ash's suddenly rather intimidating aura, the leader gave a nod of his own. "Thank you. I didn't know what we were going to do." He stepped closer and pointed off in the distance. "Not too far that way is where their turf is."

Drawing his knife, Ash gripped the leader's shoulder with his other hand. "Shouldn't take me longer than an hour." He said, releasing the leader and leaving, his stride purposeful as he approached the super mutant camp. Normally he'd use his shotgun on mutants since they were huge and getting close to them would mean risking bruises at best and broken bones at worst, but Ash needed to spill their blood more personally. Shooting someone just wasn't the same as slicing through skin and muscle with a knife.

The camp turned out to be more of a farm, but that didn't stop Ash from killing everything that moved. In retrospect, he was lucky none of the mutants had rocket launchers or sledgehammers, but he hadn't been thinking about his safety or about consequences as he decapitated every super mutant on the property. It was quite a bit of work decapitating a super mutant since they were thick with muscles and their bones were much harder than a human's, but Ash was nothing if not determined so he managed.

True to his word, Ash finished within an hour and was walking back to the Slog in no time. He was covered in blood, most of it not his, and his arms ached from the force it had taken to behead the eight mutants that had called the farm home, but he was very much alive. Walking up to the leader, who'd started tending the crops in his absence, Ash cleared his throat lightly. "Those mutants won't be a problem anymore." He informed when the leader looked up at him in surprise.

Laughing a bit in disbelief, the leader got up and swept his hands off on his jeans in order to clap Ash on the shoulder. "Well, I guess you were the right person for the job. Thanks again, friend!" He said, releasing Ash's shoulder as quickly as he'd clapped it when his hand landed in gore. He was still smiling though, the good news keeping him from being too grossed out. "Feel free to use our workshop. I'm glad to count you as a friend."

"In that case, I don't suppose you'd mind if I brought over a few people to help you keep this place safe?" Ash asked, already putting a command into his Pip-Boy. "They won't get in the way, they'll just be around to make sure you don't have any more problems. Like your own security force."

Considering Ash's words for a moment, the leader shrugged lightly. "I suppose that'd be fine." He said, uncertain but deciding to trust Ash.

"Cool. They won't take up any space or anything, they'll just stick to their guard posts." Ash informed, smiling at the leader even though he couldn't see it. The leader nodded again and got back to work. Walking a ways off the property, Ash met up with the human-like synths that had relayed in with supplies and led them back to the Slog. He had them build guard posts for themselves and then assigned them and a few other synths as the Slog's security crew. The human-like synths had to sleep and stuff after all, so he'd have them work in shifts.

Once that was done, Ash had his synths help him spruce up the Slog, adding a few turrets just to be safe but not as many as he'd normally put on one of his settlements. Wouldn't wanna scare away traders, after all. He didn't do too much more beyond that since he didn't wanna change the general vibe of the Slog, but he left the workshop linked to all his other ones so if any of the settlers wanted to, they could use the materials there to make renovations.

It was dark by the time all that was finished and the farmers of the Slog were heading to bed. Ash decided to do the same and waited until no one was around to relay to Sanctum. It was when he almost collapsed a few steps up the stairs to his room that he realized he hadn't eaten anything after breakfast and he had to break for some food before he could get the shower he desperately wanted. He eventually made it to bed though, drifting off to sleep thinking about what he was going to do the next day if Gage wasn't ready to go by then.


	20. The Break Part 2

Chapter Specific Characters: John the Barber, Geneva, Mayor McDildo, H1-87, Doctor Sun, Travis, Piper Wright, Nick Valentine, Vadim Bobrov

Chapter Specific Tags/Warnings: Mentions of ghoul racism

* * *

There was no word from Gage the following morning, so Ash decided it was time he taught Diamond City a lesson about tolerance. He relayed to the alley he'd designated his official Diamond City relay point and took quick care of the raiders that had set up shop there since the last time. Diamond City was a short walk away but it was just long enough that Ash had the time to decide there was **one** thing he needed to do before he started stabbing racists; Ash was gonna get his hair cut by someone who actually knew what they were doing.

"Hey, there!" The barber greeted, grinning at Ash as he walked up. "Here to get a haircut? Just fifteen caps."

Nodding, Ash handed over the caps and took his hat off as he sat down in the chair. "I really just want a trim." Ash informed, deciding to also remove his mask in case it was in the way. "I'm sure you can tell I tried to do it myself."

Laughing in a relieved way, the barber picked up his scissors. "I can. It's not that bad." He offered, getting started on evening out Ash's hack-job.

"Yes it is." Ash said, smiling just a little when the barber laughed again.

"Yeah, okay. It's pretty bad." He admitted, trimming away. "I've seen worse though."

Humming, Ash let his eyes wonder even though he was already fighting a mental battle to remember to keep his head still. A group of colorful bottles off to the side caught his eye however and Ash looked over at them the next time he felt the barber pull his scissors away. "You do coloring?"

"At no extra charge." The barber replied, going back to trimming once Ash straightened up again. "Interested?"

"Kinda." Ash mumbled, having always wanted colored hair but having never gotten the chance because the school he'd went to hadn't allowed it.

"What color were you thinking?" The barber asked, setting his scissors down and going over to the bottles.

"Colors." Ash replied, smiling a bit at the smile the barber shot him.

"Ooh, frisky. Colors, then."

"Could you do a line of pink, a line of purple, and a line of blue?" Ash asked, pointing at his hairline on the right side and motioning all the way behind his head. "Like that?"

"Absolutely." The barber said, almost sounding excited as he picked out the colors and showed them to Ash. "These look about right?"

Nodding, Ash leaned back and let the barber color his hair, hoping the whole time that he wasn't one of the people who would need to die once he took Diamond City back for the ghouls. It didn't take long and when the barber was done, he held up a mirror for Ash. Grinning broadly, Ash tilted his head to the side so he could see his streaks better and gave a nod of approval. "Perfect."

Putting the mirror away, the barber grinned. "Another satisfied customer. Come back any time you need a trim again or if you ever want to change your colors."

"I will." Ash said, standing and putting his hat and mask back on. He was aware that getting the streaks was a little silly since the bulk of them were hidden under his hat most of the time, but the streaks were for himself, not for others, and so long as he knew they were there, they'd make him happy. "By the way," Ash started, turning to look at the barber again. "would you happen to know which way the mayor's office is?"

"Oh, that'd be it up there." The barber replied, pointing at the VIP box at the top of the stadium.

"Thanks." Ash said, slinging his pack back on and heading over. He boarded the lift that would take him up and found himself thanking his lucky stars that it wasn't an actual enclosed elevator. The lift ride was slow and Ash enjoyed the view while it was moving, imagining how the city would look if it was decorated his way. When it ended, Ash stepped into the room and walked over to the woman behind the desk, figuring she was the mayor's secretary.

"Hello." She greeted, giving Ash a friendly smile. "How can I help you?"

"I need to talk to the mayor." Ash said, tone coming out neutral despite his murderous intentions.

Frowning a bit, the secretary fidgeted. "If this is about more synth nonsense, I'm afraid the mayor is too busy at the moment."

Raising an eyebrow, Ash shook his head. "It's not." He assured, slightly curious but ultimately deciding it didn't matter.

"Well, alright. You can head in." The secretary said, still sounding uncertain. "But don't try anything funny. Security'll be just outside."

"Right." Ash replied blankly, walking through the double doors behind her desk and finding the man who'd yelled at the woman who'd helped him get into Diamond City the first time he'd been there. He couldn't remember her name, but he supposed that didn't matter either. "You must be the mayor." Ash said, his tone deceptively neutral.

"Indeed I am." The mayor replied, grinning at Ash. "What can I do for you?"

"I had a question about your anti-ghoul policy." Ash said, his tone still on the neutral side as he stopped in front of the mayor. When the mayor beamed, Ash knew death would be a mercy for this human-sized sack of shit. A mercy he didn't deserve either, but the sooner he was dead, the sooner Ash could take over and get the news spreading that ghouls were once again welcome in Diamond City.

"Ah, my most popular policy to date." The mayor said, going to say more before Ash's shotgun was pressed to his forehead.

"Yeah, I'm not a huge fan of that policy." Ash said pulling the trigger before the mayor could call for security. The sound alerted them anyway and Ash shot the two security guards that ran into the room. When the secretary started calling for more, he shot her too. Holstering his shotgun, Ash grabbed the mayor's body and dragged it over to one of the huge windows in his office. He was heavy, but Ash was determined and with a great shove that nearly sent him tumbling out after the corpse, Ash sent the mayor's body down to the ground below, the resounding _splat_ when it hit the ground being worth the effort.

As more guards stormed the office, Ash shot them. He left a bloody trail of guards in his wake all the way to the lift and then rode it down, taking care of the guards who were waiting for him down below as well. Walking into the marketplace, Ash fiddled with his Pip-Boy and then looked around at all the shocked Diamond City residents as a few coursers appeared behind him. There were some screams and some people even ran away, but most of the crowd stayed to see what would happen.

"You called for us?" H1-87 asked, gun already drawn and ready to fire.

Ignoring H1-87 for the moment, Ash raised his voice. "I've just killed your mayor." He declared, cocking his shotgun just for the dramatic flair of it. "I'm your leader now and I'm going to be repealing quite a few of your ex-mayor's policies. Starting with the anti-ghoul policies." That's what really got people going and Ash looked back at H1-87. "Kill everyone who's upset by that news."

Nodding, H1-87 motioned for the other coursers to spread out and the slaughter started. The general good's merchant, the guy in the baseball uniform, several random residents, and everyone who tried to shoot the coursers, which was mostly just the remaining security guards, were all killed while Ash carried on.

"Anyone who doesn't like that, can talk to my synths or get the fuck out of my city." Ash declared, looking around for anyone who seemed ready to fight him and finding no one. Nodding, Ash walked over to the doctor who'd patched him up on his first visit, resting his shotgun on his shoulder since he didn't plan on shooting him if he didn't have to. "Hey, doc. Point me in the direction of the radio station, would you?" The doctor obeyed quickly, pointing a shaky finger in the direction Ash needed and the teen nodded once. "Thanks, doc."

Reloading his shotgun on the way, Ash walked to the radio station and opened the door with considerably more force than necessary, only feeling slightly bad when the man within shrieked and fell out of the chair he'd been in. "I'm gonna need to borrow your station for a minute." He said, walking over when the man babbled something at him and curled up where he'd fallen. "Cool, thanks." Ash mumbled, shaking his head and pressing the record button before picking up the mic sitting on the console.

"To every person in the Commonwealth, this is the new leader of Diamond City, Overboss Ash, with an important message. Any and all ghoul residents who were previously evicted are hereby extended a formal invitation to return. The city is no longer anti-ghoul and you are now welcome; a heartfelt apology from me to you that the eviction ever happened in the first place. To all ghouls who were not previously residents of the Mediocre Green Jewel, you are also welcome." Ash turned the mic off and set it aside. Now he just needed to get it on the air and set it to repeat every now and again.

Looking down at the DJ who still hadn't recovered from him barging in, Ash sighed lightly and crouched near him. "Hey." He said softly, the man flinching hard and looking up at him with wide, panicked eyes.

"Please don't shoot me." He whimpered, making Ash frown.

"Are you against anything you just heard me say?" Ash asked, keeping his voice as even as he could.

Shaking his head quickly, the man took a few frantic breaths before replying. "I-I was always opposed to-to the ghoul ban." He stammered, flinching again when Ash held out his hand.

"Then I'm not gonna shoot you." Ash said, taking the man's hand when he tentatively gave it to him. He pulled the DJ into a sitting position but stayed crouched. "Sorry I startled you. Are you alright?"

Taking in a shaky breath, the man nodded slowly. "Y-yeah. I'm okay."

"Okay. I need your help with this next part." Ash said, surprising himself with how gentle his voice was coming out. Maybe it was because he knew how it felt to have a panic attack. Granted he'd never had one quite as extreme as the DJ's, but he still knew they weren't fun. "I need you to broadcast my message and set it to repeat once a day for the next month. Can you do that for me?"

Nodding again, the DJ stood up slowly once Ash moved out of his way and pushed a few buttons before giving another nod. "There. It-it should be playing right now. And it'll repeat like-like you wanted." He said, looking over at Ash.

"Thank you very much." Ash said, touching the DJ's arm lightly and feeling a bit better when he didn't flinch. "If you have any problems, take it to the people in white, alright? They're the new security and they'll help you." Ash got another nod and left, closing the door gently on his way out. Sighing a bit, he tried to get back into warlord mode and entered a few commands into his Pip-Boy.

Soon a dozen synths decked out in their white armor and armed with laser rifles appeared before Ash. "I'm reassigning all of you from your previous duties to be Diamond City's new security force. You'll work in shifts with another team, you're the day shift. Any questions?" There were a dozen "no"s and Ash nodded. "Good. Your new duty is first and foremost to ensure the safety of any and all ghoul residents within the city. There aren't any currently, but when they arrive, they are to feel safe. Understood?" There were a dozen "yes"s and Ash made a shooing motion with his hands. "Then get securing."

The synths marched off and a second crew stepped forward. "How are we on resources?" Ash asked, this team being much larger and consisting of the more robotic synths.

"Resources are plentiful and stores are growing due to increased patrols." One synth spoke up, Ash nodding a bit.

"Good. This city needs a make-over. Those stands are a waste of space so I want you to convert them into houses. Build everything from single person to family houses." Ash ordered, feeling more in his element bossing around synths than comforting nervous DJs. "Use the space well, but don't make it too cramped. I'll be here all day to oversee, so if you have any questions, come find me. Dismissed." The synths left quickly, taking the materials they'd brought along and getting started on the orders Ash had given them.

Heading back to the marketplace, Ash saw that the coursers had gathered there and went up to them. "How many people had to be executed excluding security guards?"

"Fourteen humans and one mouthy robot." H1-87 replied, tone as neutral as ever.

"Not bad." Ash muttered, having figured it would be more than half the population that would need to go.

"It was mostly the wealthy residents that opposed you." H1-87 informed, the upper stands of Diamond City a bloody mess thanks to all the rich snobs who didn't want ghouls to be let back into the city.

"Never did like rich people." Ash said, pausing to consider something for a moment before speaking again. "Strip the bodies down and collect their valuables, then transport all of them to Nuka-World and tell the Disciples to decorate the area around the pond." He ordered, getting an affirmative nod from H1-87. "Tell them I said to get creative, the gorier the better."

"Will do." H1-87 replied, motioning for the other coursers to move out and beginning the task Ash had assigned them.

Feeling pretty good, Ash rolled his shoulders and let out a sigh. What a productive day it'd been so far. Deciding to take a walk around his new city and see if there were any problems he needed to take care of, Ash turned but didn't get very far as he found the woman from his first visit standing nearby, looking a mix of disturbed and utterly pissed off. Sighing lightly, Ash took a step closer. "I'm currently taking criticism if that's what you're here for." He offered, getting what would've been a scolding glare for someone who cared.

"**Fourteen** people dead? And that's "not bad"?" She asked, voice shaking.

"Fourteen **ghoul hating racists** dead." Ash replied, resting his hand on the hip that held his knife just in case the woman tried to do something stupid. "So, fourteen pieces of human-shaped trash cleansed from this world. All in all, not bad."

"Who are you to decide who deserves to live and die?" The woman asked, voice raising in agitation at Ash's calm demeanor, drawing looks from all around the marketplace. "You could've just kicked them out!"

Letting out a cold bark of a laugh, Ash tilted his head at the woman. "Why, I'm the devil!" He answered sarcastically, spreading his arms dramatically. "Suppose you wouldn't have heard since this new world doesn't seem too big on religion, but I don't much care for people who don't follow the holy tenants of not being a complete fucking asshat." The woman's face turned red and Ash lowered his arms, replacing the hand on his knife hip. "You're not one of them, are you? One of the people who don't want ghouls to be let back into the city? A racist sack of shit?" Ash punctuated the last question by taking a few steps closer to the woman, standing as tall as her thanks to his boots and now invading her personal space a bit.

For all her impotent rage, the woman apparently wasn't stupid and seemed to realize she was in danger. "No." She grit out, taking a couple steps back to get Ash out of her bubble. "I've been McDonough's most vocal detractor since day one. I just don't approve of mass slaughter as a means to an end."

"Good thing I don't need your fucking approval then." Ash replied coldly. "Now, if you have any other questions, comments, or concerns, kindly take it up with the new security guards. I have better things to do than argue morals with you." He said, starting to walk away before the woman spoke up again.

"Is it true, then?" She asked loudly, willing herself not to back down when Ash turned back to her in clear annoyance. "Is it true the "new security guards" are synths? That you're with the Institute?"

"Yes and no." Ash responded easily, tone surprisingly calm. "They're synths, but I'm not **with** the Institute, I **am** the Institute."

"You-"

"I'm their leader, yes."

"Holy shit." The woman muttered, a hand brushing over her forehead as she took that in.

"Unholy shit." Ash corrected quietly as he turned and finally started walking, the woman too stunned to stop him this time. As Ash made his way through the city, most people avoided him but a very small amount of people openly stared, some of them even being so bold as to whisper to eachother. Ash didn't care either way, let them be afraid, let them whisper; so long as they didn't get in his way, it didn't matter.

Coming to the part of the city where he'd gotten his synths started on renovating the stands, Ash saw that they'd made quite a bit of progress. It looked like they'd gotten one entire house built already, though it was a small one, and already had several skeletons set up where they'd cleared out the chairs that had once occupied the space. Ash watched them work for a bit with the crowd that had gathered to watch and point in shocked awe but then continued his walk. He'd seen his synths work before, after all, and he had more city to patrol.

As he was going around a bend that would take him back to the marketplace, Ash's eyes were caught by the glow of harsh red neon. Red was, surprisingly, one of Ash's least favorite colors, so naturally he looked over to see what the harsh red glow was all about. _Valentine Detective Agency_. Huh. Ash might not have been as curious as he was if it weren't for the name. His birthday was on what used to be Valentine's day and Ash had sort of assumed holiday's no longer existed in the Commonwealth, so either he was wrong or the name was weird given the state of the world.

Either way, Ash found himself walking down the alley and turning the corner when another glaring sign told him to do so. As soon as he entered the agency, a bullet whizzed by his head and Ash froze, blinking in surprise for a bit before laughing softly. "You missed." He informed, stepping forward enough to close the door behind him and looking at the person who'd shot at him. Well, person might've been a strong word. He actually looked like one of the robotic synths just with a bit more skin.

"That was a warning shot." He replied, gun trained on Ash. "Keep those hands where I can see them or I won't miss the next one."

Snorting lightly, Ash rolled his eyes and sarcastically raised his hands about halfway. "You **do** know I'm the city's new mayor-adjacent authority figure, right?" He asked, lowering his hands again despite the warning. Let the guy shoot him. Ash would either survive and make him regret his very existence for a little while or he'd die. Win-win.

"According to yourself." The man challenged, watching Ash like a hawk.

"I mean, if you disagree with my hostile takeover, I'm right here. Let's talk it out." Ash offered, tilting his head a bit. "Unless your complaints begin and end with "you're a murderer". I can't help you if that's your hang-up."

"My _complaints_ center around the fact that you're the leader of a bunch of vicious raiders." The man informed, frowning at Ash and sounding annoyed. "This city has families in it, children, you-"

"If you're about to tell me what I can't do, I would strongly advise against it." Ash interrupted, tone suddenly very serious. "I don't plan on letting my savages into the city. I only even took over because I didn't fancy the fact that the biggest, safest town I've come across so far was anti-ghoul."

Seeming to falter a bit, the man lowered his gun slowly. "Not plannin' on slappin' any shock collars on anyone, then?"

"Not unless that's a request." Ash said, wiggling his eyebrows at the man before realizing he likely couldn't see it under his hat, adjusting his hat, and then trying again. The man's serious expression cracked into one of confusion and mild amusement and Ash considered that a win. "I'm actually here, like here in this office, cuz of the name." Ash explained, tilting his head a bit. "Is Valentine's Day still a thing?"

Eyes narrowing, the man looked at Ash quizzically. "**Still** a thing?"

Cringing a bit, Ash rolled his eyes and looked away. Bad choice of words. "Let's not get caught up on the small details of that question." He muttered, silence stretching on after that. When it'd been too long for Ash's liking, which honestly is to say not very long at all, he looked over to the man who looked almost curious now.

Slowly holstering his gun, the man reached into his coat and fished out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter. "The small details tend to be pretty important to a detective." He said, getting out a cigarette and lighting it up. He took a drag, putting the pack and lighter away, and let out a plume of smoke before speaking again. "But, no, Valentine's Day isn't a thing anymore."

Currently stuck between being annoyed at the man's sense of dramatic timing and internally screaming over how fucking cool he was, Ash was frowning quite a bit behind his mask. "How'd you get saddled with the name, then? You are Valentine, aren't you?"

"I am." He replied, stepping around the desk slowly and sticking his hand out to Ash. "Nick Valentine."

Many years of social brainwashing kicked in at the familiar gesture and Ash instinctively shook Nick's hand, realizing what he'd done a moment after and glaring at Nick.

Grinning like he'd just proven something, Nick retracted his hand. "People don't shake hands in the Commonwealth. That gesture died a long time ago."

"Yeah, I've noticed." Ash said, sounding annoyed. "So I guess that means we're both pre-war."

"It would seem so." Nick said, a hum of curiosity in his voice. "But if that's true, you're definitely the most well-preserved two-hundred year old I've ever met."

"Being frozen for two centuries works wonders on your skin." Ash dead-panned back, eyes traveling the office now that he felt he was no longer at risk of getting shot. A snort, or something akin to it, from Nick made Ash look back at him and he saw the man looked amused.

"I imagine so." He retorted, seeming to realize Ash wasn't really joking after a moment of getting a blank stare from him. "Frozen, huh?" Nick asked, humming a bit when Ash shrugged. Well, he'd heard of weirder experiments happening before the war. Case in point, himself. Taking another drag from his cigarette, Nick regarded Ash and released the plume of smoke that'd been trapped in his artificial lungs before speaking again. "So, did you really just come in here to ask if Valentine's Day was a still a thing or did you need somethin' from me?"

"Well you still didn't tell me how you got the name, but now that I know you're pre-war too, it doesn't really matter." Ash replied, pausing to consider and then shrugging again. "That was it. Thanks for satisfying my curiosity, I guess."

Looking more confused than ever, Nick watched as Ash left without waiting for a response. He'd met quite a few raider bosses in his time but definitely none quite like Ash. He wasn't sure if it was due to Ash being pre-war or if it was something else that gave him that air of being a painfully awkward person trying desperately to hold it all in, but Nick was surprised that raiders would follow someone like Ash. Especially raiders as allegedly vicious as the ones coming out of Nuka-World.

Huffing out a sigh, Nick stubbed out the withered remains of his cigarette. "You can come on out, Ellie, he's gone now." He called, hearing the ruffling of his secretary upstairs. Whatever the case, Ash definitely didn't seem as dangerous as he probably ought to considering he'd just taken the entire city over.

Resuming his walk, Ash mulled over that interaction and realized slowly how odd it was that Nick had so readily accepted that he was pre-war. It'd taken a whole-ass third party account to make Gage believe him, but here this Valentine guy just accepted it like nothing because of a fucking handshake. He'd think that probably meant he was a gullible guy and a shitty detective but he could admit to himself if no one else that getting him to shake **was** genius.

It took Ash almost smacking into a wall to realize it didn't fucking matter and that he'd been thinking far too hard about it. Luckily no one was-

"We've completed the moving of the bodies to Nuka-World." H1-87 informed from behind Ash, tone bland despite the fact that they'd been trailing Ash for a bit and had watched him almost smack into a wall. They'd tried getting his attention, but when that hadn't worked, they'd decided to just follow him until he came out of his daze. It had been worth the wait.

_Of course_. Turning to face the official captain of the coursers, Ash nodded once. "Good. You and the other coursers are dismissed then." He said, watching as H1-87 did something with the device on their wrist before triggering a relay and disappearing in a flash of blue. Peaking out from around the wall he'd almost become intimately acquainted with, Ash saw several other flashes of blue throughout the city. Well, there went his second best defense against potential angry mobs. Good thing he still had his first best defense: himself.

Smiling a bit at his own, in his not so humble opinion, well-deserved cockiness, Ash continued his walk, realizing shortly after that he'd run out of city to patrol. Deflating a bit, Ash looked around and saw no angry mobs, no riots forming. Not even the woman in red was there anymore. Didn't this city have a bar? Ash had heard something about a bar on previous visits.

Stopping for drinks in a town he'd just taken over in a decidedly bloody conquest didn't seem like a great idea, but Ash didn't feel comfortable leaving Diamond City to its own devices with his synths still working hard on the stands. He'd need to eventually, of course, but it seemed like a bad idea since this was just the first day. There was still time for that mob or those riots Ash had been expecting, the day was still young.

Well, that left it between a bad idea that risked his own skin and a bad idea that risked this whole operation while it was still in its infancy. Not a hard choice. Walking around again, Ash did his best to pay attention to his surroundings and when he spotted the Dugout Inn, that registered as familiar to him. _-drinks at the Dugout after my shift_. Yeah, that sounded right.

As soon as Ash stepped into the Dugout, he knew it didn't hold a candle to the Third Rail. The air wasn't nearly as thick with smoke and the general vibe was far from seedy. It was just a hair off from being a place you could take the family for dinner. Well, that sucked, but whatever, a place to have a drink and intimidate the locals by existing was just that even if the atmosphere was less than ideal. Walking up to the bar, Ash was immediately assaulted by a surprisingly bombastic and friendly greeting.

"Hello there, my friend!" The bartender greeted cheerfully, offering Ash a wide grin. "Things may be a little weird right now but the bar is always open! What can I get for you?"

Smiling a bit despite himself, Ash looked over the man's selection for a bit. "Whiskey." He answered, looking up at the man and seeing a brief realization before his friendly smile was back, just a tad more forced. _Ah_. The bartender hadn't recognized him. That made sense. No one in the bar really looked panicked so they must not have been any of the people who were up above when Ash had taken over. They'd likely only heard the gunshots and then his voice over the radio, declaring the city pro-ghoul.

"Whiskey it is." The bartender said, picking out a bottle from under the bar and passing it to Ash before taking the caps he handed over in return.

Finding a fairly secluded table to sit at, Ash worked the cork of the bottle loose with the very tip of his knife and took a swig once he'd removed it. _Gross_. Sighing, Ash leaned back in his chair and took another swig, past the point of cringing over the taste even though it was truly foul. Nobody ever drank alcohol for the taste, after all, they drank it either to get drunk or, in Ash's case, for the aesthetic of it.

Ash was several swallows into the bottle when his stomach lurched and he suddenly realized he'd skipped breakfast _again_. Swallowing against the urge to vomit, Ash quickly fished something to eat out of his bag. He ended up finding a container of dried vegetables and mole rat jerky first and so ate that, not really tasting the food and just trying to get something into his stomach. He'd never been a huge fan of food with the exception of sweets and things that were fun to eat but at least back before the war, he'd had someone looking over his shoulder and telling him when he needed to cram something down in order to sustain himself.

_At least._ Like it had been a good thing. Ash frowned at himself and decided the set times were the things he missed, not the people enforcing them. Structure. Or maybe schedules. It was nice being able to do what he wanted when he wanted but when that meant frequently forgetting to nourish himself, it was a problem. It was then that Ash realized he was an idiot. His Pip-Boy had a clock, it had an alarm function. Shaking his head at himself, Ash set up several alarms on his Pip-Boy. One for a couple hours after he usually woke up, one that would go off a few hours before the time he usually went to bed, and one as close to evenly in between the other two as he could get it.

**There**. Now maybe he wouldn't forget to feed himself anymore. All he needed was one more reason for Gage to think he was trying to kill himself. Deciding he probably needed it, Ash quickly downed a can of water before getting back to his whiskey, not really feeling it anymore but liking the way the smooth glass felt in his hand. It was then that he realized he was bored as hell. Relaxing just really wasn't his thing.

Abandoning his whiskey, Ash made a pit stop to answer nature's call and then left the Dugout Inn, deciding that even if outside had nothing to offer him, it at least had walking. Walking was better than doing nothing and trying to enjoy it. As he wandered the city again, Ash eventually came across where his synths were working and was surprised to find a much larger group of people watching them this time. A few of the security guards Ash had brought in were standing between where the synths were working and the crowd and that made Ash worried for a minute before he noticed that their guns were lowered and they seemed idle. It was probably just a precaution.

Coming closer, Ash picked up on a few bits of conversation among the crowd. It was mostly questions the people they were asking didn't have the answers to so Ash decided this was what he was going to do now. Walking around the crowd, Ash stood with his synths and waited patiently as the crowd immediately started to quiet down. Taking a breath, Ash addressed the crowd, making his voice come out as loud as he could without actually yelling.

"You all have questions and I'm the only one who can answer them, so let me start with some basic ones. Yes, those are synths." Ash paused as the crowd flared up for a moment before settling back down. "Yes, they are my synths. No, I am not with the Institute, I'm the leader of the Institute." Pausing again, Ash held up his hand, silencing another wave of chatter before it got out of hand. "The Institute as you have known it no longer exists. The synths are only here to build houses and to replace the old security guards that kept you all safe."

This time Ash let the crowd go for a bit before he started speaking again. **"However,** these new houses aren't just for the ghouls I'm letting back into the city. I've noticed alot of you are without proper homes." Ash said, motioning behind himself at his synths busily toiling away. "These houses are for everyone. Anyone without a home is free to claim one once it's finished. This city belongs to me now and I won't have people who live in a city under my rule sleeping in the dirt like animals."

Pausing again, Ash was surprised to receive a few hesitant cheers and some mild applause. Frowning a bit, Ash carried on. "With all that said, if any of you have any other questions, I'll answer what I can." He finished, suddenly feeling quite alot like an actual politician instead of a gang leader. Maybe Ash really was cut out to be a leader. That joke he'd made that night at Nuka-World might've been serious after all. Gage hadn't rebutted the part about his leadership skills, now that Ash thought about it, just the part about him being charismatic.

It took a bit for the first person to work up the nerve to blurt out a question but after that, the questions flowed more freely. Ash, true to his word, answered what he could, deflecting what he couldn't with political skills he didn't know he had. Eventually the questions ended and when it was all over, Ash felt alot better about leaving his synths alone in the city. Apparently years of surviving under the old mayor made the prospect of living sound very appealing and Ash felt, against all odds, that he was actually quite popular amongst the people of Diamond City.

His suspicions were confirmed when he resumed walking the streets and got the occasional nervous wave or greeting instead of nervous glances and whispers. He returned the waves awkwardly and responded to the greetings with curt nods. Okay, it was one thing to be accepted, but he couldn't handle this. Putting out a warning to his synths via his Pip-Boy that he was leaving, Ash relayed to Sanctum, deciding to spend the rest of the evening tinkering instead of wandering the streets of Diamond City aimlessly and dealing with people.

Once he got working on something that required thought, the time flew by and before Ash knew it, his alarm to eat was going off. He obeyed it and spent the last few hours before bed relaxing, finding it much easier to do nothing inside Sanctum. Well, not nothing, he was actually very occupied doodling and losing at Pip-Boy games. He'd always been terrible at games that required focus since his mind wandered so often, but he still enjoyed having something to do in between internal monologues and random bursts of inspiration.

When Ash's eyelids got heavy and his losing streaks grew longer, Ash set his alarm for the morning and went to bed. He'd check on Diamond City in the morning and then go from there. Maybe he'd stop by Nuka-World and see how things were looking for himself. Maybe ride some of the rides that were hopefully working now that the power was on. Maybe Gage would be ready to go by then. Curling up under his covers, Ash decided there was only one way to find out what the morning would bring and went to sleep.


	21. The Break Part 3

Warning: This chapter is probably the darkest one I've written yet. Go into it bearing that in mind.

Chapter Specific Characters: Mama Dixie, Porter Gage

Chapter Specific Warnings/Tags: Moderate mutilation, mild torture, attempted suicide, face slapping

Torture Scene Warnings/Tags: Graphic torture (obviously), crying, begging, cauterization, flaying

The beginning and end of the torture scene is marked by a break so people who aren't into that can skip it.

* * *

A gentle trilling woke Ash up and he reached over to shut his Pip-Boy off. Sitting up, he checked the screen and found he didn't have any new alerts. That was either really good or the worst case scenario. It meant either his synths had been able to work throughout the night without a hitch or they'd all been destroyed before they could get an alert to him. Only one way to find out. Well, there were several, actually, but Ash was really more of a hands-on kind of guy.

After a shower, Ash got dressed and did some gear rearranging. Messing with his gear reminded him to eat so he dismissed the alarm that was set to go off soon. Lastly, Ash made sure Blasphemy and Sin Cannon were fully loaded and then relayed directly into Diamond City. It was nice to not have to go to that one alley and then walk to the city. Being in charge was nice. Lots of perks.

Looking around, Ash decided the city seemed calm enough. He'd startled a few people who were going about their day but most paid him no mind. It was surprising how quickly the people seemed to be acclimating, but Ash supposed that was good. Leaving his guns holstered, Ash found his way to the part of the stands that had been getting cleared when he left and smiled broadly at the progress.

There were a total of six houses now and it looked like the synths had gotten started with getting electricity flowing into the houses. Assuming they were still following the way Ash did things, that meant the houses that were getting electricity were already furnished and ready to move into. Ash always saved getting power into a house for last.

One of the synths noticed Ash and came down from the stands. "Progress report." Ash commanded, figuring that's what the synth was coming down for anyway.

"Three single homes fully furnished and powered, one family home fully furnished and powered, two family homes fully built, and several homes still in progress." The synth responded, its words coming out a little clipped and garbled since Ash had set the robotic synths to talk faster than they were meant to. Something about that robotic voice talking too slowly drove Ash crazy and it wasn't like the garbling was that noticeable if they didn't have too much to say.

"Good. Were there any problems while I was away?"

"Negative."

"Return to your duties." Ash watched as the synth did just that and he took a breath, letting it out slowly. Yeah, it was good being in charge. Taking one last look around at the progress, Ash set a relay for Nuka-World and triggered it. The Commonwealth was boring without direction but Nuka-World was literally built to be entertaining, so it was worth a shot.

Coming out of the relay inside of Fizztop Grille, Ash stepped over to the lift dock and pressed the button. He could already see that the corpses he'd sent over had been put to good use and that made him smile. The lift arrived and Ash rode it down, getting his camera out as it moved. Hopping off once the lift was a safe-ish distance from the ground, Ash readied his camera and captured the decorations as he went around the pond.

The Disciples had taken his "the gorier the better" suggestion to heart, to several hearts, actually, and had gutted many of the corpses in order to use their innards as decor. None of it was as artistic or as tasteful as something he'd come up with, but he was proud regardless. Eventually he'd have both the corpses and the time to decorate the pond himself instead of delegating it. Making his way around the entire pond, Ash put his camera away and pondered what to do next.

"Dixie's at it again." A Disciple passing by grumbled to the other Disciple she was walking with. "Like some people ain't tryin' to nurse hangovers."

"Don't know how bein' out here in the sun's gonna help." The other Disciple grumbled, getting an elbow to the ribs for her effort.

"We're goin' t-"

Ash didn't hear the rest as he'd begun walking to the entrance of the Disciples' headquarters. If he recalled correctly, Dixie was the one who was complaining about his leadership qualifications his first day. She was also the one who told stories on the radio, according to Shank. Walking into Fizztop Mountain, Ash choked momentarily on the smell of rot but got over it quickly. It was a tad bit concentrated in the mountain, not like in Sanctum where it was a barely noticeable undertone.

Once he got over the smell, Ash began to notice steady whimpering coming from deeper in the mountain. Following the sound, Ash found Dixie standing near an upright sort of table with a woman strapped to it. Coming closer slowly, Ash watched curiously as Dixie used a her fingers to dig the woman's eye out of her skull. The woman screamed and Ash's heart stuttered at the broken, pitiful sound. Then Dixie yanked violently and the screams went up a pitch when the eye came free, the nerve that had connected it to the person's head snapping eventually. Letting out a breath, Ash came closer still and caught Dixie's attention when he entered where the candlelight reached.

Looking over, Dixie grinned, the expression actually showing since she wasn't wearing her mask at the moment. "Well, hey there, boss." She greeted cheerfully, tossing the eyeball up and catching it. "Enjoyin' the show?"

Swallowing his sudden nerves, Ash nodded and came closer, finally getting close enough that he could see the full extent of the damage that had been done to the woman on the table. His breath caught as he looked upon the amount of mutilation. It was beautiful. "I've never-" Ash paused, swallowing and willing his voice to come out more steady. "I've never seen torture up close."

"Never?" Dixie asked, her tone that of shock. "That's just downright unacceptable, boss. I heard you like killin' as much as any Disciple and you ain't never tortured nobody?"

"No." Ash mumbled, his right hand twitching a bit. "I've never thought about it. I mean, it's the killing I like, I never-." He trailed off, getting distracted by an arc on the woman's side that was oozing thick blood.

"Y'sure 'bout that?" Dixie asked, stepping up to the table and picking up a scalpel. "I mean, I've heard ya got yourself one hell of a temper. Ya can't tell me you ain't never thought of just strappin' someone down and makin' 'em hurt." She cut a slit into the woman's neck and squeezed the eye into it, stepping back to admire her work with a smile. "I was thinkin' of settin' this one out by the pond with the ones you sent over." Dixie mentioned offhandedly, watching as her victim started to slowly fade away. Just as she was about to expire, Dixie stabbed her as hard as she could in the heart and let out a little giggle as she jerked in one last burst of pain before dying.

"I-I guess I have." Ash mumbled, enraptured by Dixie's actions.

Smiling at Ash's fascination with her work, Dixie placed a bloody hand on her hip. "Wanna give it a whirl? If you don't like it ya can always just kill 'em, after all."

Even as he frowned uncertainly behind his mask, Ash nodded slowly. "I think I would."

"Well, alright!" Dixie cheered happily, motioning for Ash to follow her and leading him over to some cages. "We got lotsa canvases, just look around and see if one catches your eye." She instructed, watching Ash as he slowly looked through the cages. "I personally prefer pretty young ladies, but ya just never know who'll stand out to ya 'til you look around."

As Ash looked at the individuals in the cages, a flash of green caught his eye. Stopping abruptly, Ash looked into the cage and locked eyes with a man who was probably in his early twenties and had startlingly vibrant green eyes. "That one." Ash said quietly, the people around the man scurrying out of the way as Dixie came over to unlock the door. The man kept his eyes the entire time, a certain defiance to them that Ash found himself quite excited to try his hand at breaking.

"I had a feelin' one of the boys'd catch your eye." Dixie said coyly, dragging the man out of the cage. "Take an arm, would ya, boss?"

Frowning a bit, Ash grabbed the man's other arm and followed Dixie to an unoccupied table. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"That everyone in Nuka-World has a bettin' pool goin' for how long it'll take you and Gage to make it public." Dixie replied happily, strapping the man to the table. He didn't struggle, seeming resigned to his fate.

Flushing under his mask, Ash gaped at Dixie, only coming out of it when she motioned for him to strap down the man's limbs on his side. "We aren't even private yet! We- nothing is happening with me and Gage." Ash said incredulously as he strapped the man down.

"You said "yet"." Dixie said smugly, grinning when Ash faltered.

"Did I?" He asked quietly, realizing a moment later that he had and glaring at Dixie. "You know, I've stabbed people for less than this."

Laughing, Dixie shook her head. "Hey, ya can stab the messenger if you want, but that ain't gonna change the fact that everyone knows that's how Gage operates."

"How Gage operates?" Ash asked slowly, sliding his pack off and placing his hat inside.

"He was fuckin' Colter and you two are even more inseparable than they were, so everyone figures he's fuckin' you too." Dixie explained, shrugging. "Plus, it's sort of rumored that you swing that way. That don't help none."

Laughing in disbelief, Ash ran his fingers through his hair, remembering his streaks as he did so. Then he remembered his exposed midriff. And his three-inch tall heels. And most of his general mannerisms. "Yeah, alright, fair." He muttered, realizing that he wasn't exactly subtle about how feminine he was and that most people would probably come to the conclusion that he was gay. Gay or trans. Was being trans still a thing? Surely it was. He'd need to ask someone at some point. "I swing both ways, though."

"That ain't gonna help you much. 'Specially since all the gang leaders are ladies. Next people'll be sayin' they're all fuckin' you too. Fuckin' **you**, mind you. Everyone thinks you're a taker, not a giver." Dixie said, shrugging when Ash gaped at her again. "Look, raiders enjoy simple pleasures, boss. Chems, booze, sex, killin', and gossip."

"Well you're the only person who knows I'm bi." Ash said, running his fingers through his hair again.

"And I'm a terrible gossip. Stab me now if you gotta." Dixie said, offering Ash another shrug when he looked at her in utter disbelief.

After a moment of staring at Dixie incredulously, Ash laughed and shook his head, looking down. "Nah. Gossip away." He muttered, waving a hand at Dixie. "Who am I to deprive a raider of one of her five simple pleasures?"

"That's the spirit!" Dixie cheered, clapping Ash on the back and not noticing how it made him lurch forward a bit as she'd begun setting up a table with tools immediately after.

Reaching around to rub his back a bit, Ash watched Dixie, his mind getting back on track as she set the tools up and then stepped aside. When she motioned at the tools, he stepped forward and looked at everything uncertainly.

Watching from the sidelines, Dixie spoke up when Ash started to look overwhelmed. "Just go with your gut, boss. So long as you're hurtin' 'im, you're doin' it right."

Oddly comforted by Dixie's words, Ash nodded slightly and picked up a scalpel. Looking at his canvas, Ash caught those green eyes again and saw a bit of fear behind the defiance. That lit the spark Ash needed to melt away his nervousness and he let out one last breath before coming closer still and getting started.

* * *

Starting just under the man's naval, Ash made a circle that encompassed his entire abdomen from the starting point to just above the man's breasts. The man hissed and even whined a little but he kept it together pretty well. When Ash dug the scalpel in further and went around for a second time though, he began to cry and let out much louder sounds of pain.

Feeling a smile starting to form on his face, Ash set the scalpel aside and dug his fingers into the bottom of the circle. It took him a moment of tugging to realize that wasn't exactly how skin worked and he picked the scalpel back up, starting the slow process of removing the man's skin from his abdomen. Now the man was screaming and Ash's breath hitched when the first one finally ripped free from his throat.

"You're voice is beautiful." Ash said softly, catching the man's teary eyes with his own almost unnaturally bright ones.

"F-fuck you." The man bit out, choking on a sob as Ash made another long slice under his skin.

"Tempting." Ash hummed, refocusing on his work. "But I'm only into people who can consent. You being my victim, that feels kinda unbalanced."

"How considerate." The man snapped sarcastically, flinching when Ash's eyes snapped up to him.

After a moment of staring at the man, Ash looked back down and kept cutting. "I'm going to make you beg me for death." He practically whispered, finding it easier and easier to peel the man's skin the more he went. "You'll sound so much better begging for death than you do being mouthy."

Off to the side, Dixie was watching and smiling like a proud mother. She didn't think Ash had quite let loose fully yet, but he was getting there. Talking seemed to help him. Dixie remembered when she was first discovering herself. Talking had helped her too. Now she always had conversations, even if they were mostly one-sided, with her victims. It made the experience seem more intimate and being able to just rattle things off the top of her head had always helped in her early days when she started to feel uncertain.

Making the final cuts, Ash finally tossed aside the slab of skin he'd collected from the man. Now he had a massive canvas of raw muscle to play with. He wasn't quite sure what to do with it, but it felt like a start. While Ash was considering what to do next, he realized his victim was bleeding quite a bit. That was bad. If he bled out before Ash could get him begging, he'd be very disappointed in himself.

"Do you happen to have a propellant of some sort?" Ash asked, looking over at Dixie. "Hair spray or cooking spray or something like that?"

Humming, Dixie shrugged lightly. "I'll go look." She said, wandering off to see what she could find.

"Thanks." Ash muttered, turning back to his victim and pursing his lips a bit. Removing his skin had been sort of fun, but he definitely wasn't getting as much out of this as he got from just killing someone. Ash wondered vaguely if that would change once he got the man begging for death or if he just really wasn't into torture.

"Think this'll do?" Dixie called as she returned, tossing Ash a can.

Catching it, Ash examined the can and nodded. "This is perfect." He said, shaking the can of two-hundred year old hairspray and getting his lighter out. He always kept his lighter on his person, the pocket-laden belt that had come with the Nuka-Girl suit the perfect place to stash little things like that. Aiming at the man's chest, Ash clicked the lighter on and let the hairspray rip, feeling pleased at how flammable it was even after two-hundred years.

As the chemicals burned the man's exposed muscle and then the fire came in and burned it even worse, he screamed. He screamed louder than he had thus far and Ash's heart skipped again. He liked the screaming. The knowledge that he was causing another human being pain didn't do much for him, but _the screaming_. Letting out a breath, Ash stopped the flow of hairspray, the man's muscles now charred and bleeding much less now that they'd been cauterized.

Setting the can aside, Ash listened to the man's broken sobs and decided he liked those too. Now if he could just get him begging. Rubbing his chin despite the blood that the action smeared on his mask, Ash considered a few ideas and then reached out, lightly touching the man's chest. He hissed and tried to recoil even though there was nowhere to go and Ash found that his chest wasn't all that hot. Grinning a bit under his mask, Ash dug his fingernails into the top of the man's chest and began the slow process of raking them down to the bottom.

Back arching, the man let out a broken, throat destroying cry. When it ended, he thrashed and tried to buck, but there was nowhere to go and Ash was unmoved by his desperation, nails still moving steadily down, collecting char and gore under them. "Please!" The man finally cried out, openly sobbing and writhing desperately. "Stop it! Stop it, please!"

_Oh shit_. Ash hadn't expected that to do it for him **that much**, but it fucking did. Breath coming out a little heavier, Ash dug his nails in deeper and dragged slower, gaze so intense his eyes were nearly glowing.

"Fucking- stop! Stop!" The man screamed, choking on a sob. "Please! Fuck-fucking kill me!"

Letting out a low, throaty growl, Ash paused. He was still a few inches from the man's naval. That was still quite alot of clawing though and the man choked on a relieved sob when the steady pain stopped. Grin growing just a bit, Ash suddenly raked his nails as hard and as fast as he could the rest of the way down.

Another piercing scream split the air and Ash actually had to bite his lip to keep from making any embarrassing noises. When the man went limp, breath coming out shaky and heavy, Ash pushed a needle into his destroyed chest, causing him to whine softly. "Know what that is?" Ash asked softly, his voice coming out deeper than he'd ever heard it. The man made an attempt to look at the needle but Ash imagined it was hard to see anything with so many tears in his eyes. "It's a stimpak."

Choking on yet another sob, the man shook his head weakly. "No, please no." He whimpered, shaking and twitching occasionally. "Please." He breathed, hiccuping quietly. "Please just kill me. I don't- I can't- not-not again. Pl-please."

Breath coming out a little ragged, Ash cupped the man's jaw in his bloody hand and forced him to meet his eyes. Those gorgeous green eyes were somehow even prettier now that they were so broken. Now that Ash knew he was the one who'd broken them. "Since you asked so nicely." Ash whispered, pulling the needle out and tossing it aside. He kept the broken man's eyes as he slit his throat and watched the light in them die.

* * *

Sighing deeply, Ash stepped back and put his knife away. Applause form nearby startled him and he looked over to see Dixie was clapping. "I knew you had it in ya, boss." She said happily, smiling with genuine happiness and ceasing her applause. "Did it just as good as any Disciple too. The other girls'd be proud t'call ya one of us."

Shifting a little uncomfortably, Ash looked away. The praise wasn't annoying, he liked Dixie too much, despite himself, to find it annoying, but it still made him uncomfortable. He wasn't about to thank Dixie for it, either, but luckily she didn't seem to need it and just kept right on talking.

"So, didja enjoy yourself?" She asked coyly, knowing full well that Ash had but wanting to hear him say it. She knew someone getting into their work when she saw it and beyond that, she could see the evidence that Ash had enjoyed himself. The pants he was wearing didn't hide **anything**. Not that she was looking, she wasn't into the equipment he was packing, but it was hard not to notice.

"Not at first." Ash admitted, looking back at the corpse now hanging lifelessly from the table. "But, towards the end, yeah."

"Would ya do it again?" Dixie pressed, stepping closer to Ash and admiring his handiwork.

Frowning, Ash considered the question and then slowly nodded his head. "Probably." He answered slowly, shaking his head a bit in amusement at the excited look Dixie gave him. "It was fun even though it was alot of work. I get just as much of a rush from just killing someone, but there was something- different about doing it this way."

Humming a bit, Dixie nodded. "I can tell." She said coyly, nodding towards Ash's crotch and laughing when he realized what she meant and looked embarrassed. "Just remember, if you ever get a hankerin' for hurtin' someone, you better come to me so we can do it together." Dixie said, placing her hands on her hips. "Deal?"

Smiling a bit, again despite himself, Ash nodded. "Alright, Dixie. Deal." He agreed, collecting his gear as Dixie nodded in approval.

"Want me to put this one anywhere in particular?" She asked, motioning at the corpse Ash had made.

"Nah. Do whatever you want with it." Ash said, slinging his pack on and fixing his hat back on his head.

"Alright. See y'round, boss. Thanks for comin' to visit, I had fun." Dixie said, smiling to herself as Ash waved over his shoulder at her.

"Sure thing, Dixie. See you around." He called back softly, leaving Fizztop Mountain and deciding to partake in something a little lighter after torturing someone for the first time. Setting a course for Kiddie Kingdom, Ash thought about what he might want to do once he got there. Then he saw the massive ferris wheel looming in the distance and instantly knew that was it. Hoping it worked, Ash picked up the pace and found the ferris wheel easily.

Locating the button that would start the ride up assuming it worked, Ash pressed it and ran to the lowest seat. He managed to scramble in just as the ride started moving. Feeling a rush of excitement, Ash stood up and leaned out of the opening, holding the metal frame tightly and looking out at Kiddie Kingdom as he was slowly lifted into the air. When the ride hit its peak, Ash's breath caught and he fought down the voice in his head that said "jump". The ride slowly came back down and Ash hopped off once it stopped, stumbling a bit now that he was back on solid ground but catching his balance easily enough.

That had been fun, but Ash had another idea that was even better. Or worse. Sometimes it was hard to tell the difference. Looking up at the ferris wheel, Ash took a moment to plot his course and then climbed back into the lowest seat. Stuffing his hat and mask into his pack, after taking a moment to rinse his hands off, and leaving it there in the seat, Ash climbed onto the roof of the seat. The seat swayed under him but Ash was undeterred and hopped in order to grab onto the second lowest beam of the wheel's massive metal skeleton. Planting his feet on the lowest beam, Ash looked up and considered his options again.

Stepping up to the slanted support beam, Ash found it wasn't too slippery and hauled himself up to grab the next highest one. This continued as Ash slowly worked his way up, scaling the metal support beams of the ferris wheel until he reached the area near the center where he couldn't go up straight anymore. By then, he was already panting and sweating quite a bit from the exertion of climbing the massive ride, but he was halfway there and wasn't ready to give up just yet.

Climbing under one beam to reach the side he needed, Ash jumped and caught a beam a little higher up. Pulling himself up, he carefully began to scale upwards that way. It was even more work reaching for a beam and hauling himself up to get to the next one, but Ash slowly reached the point where he could climb straight up the wheel again. Taking a moment to catch his breath where he was at, Ash looked around at the view and grinned. He could see just about all of Kiddie Kingdom just from that high up and if he craned his neck to look behind himself, he could see out to the rest of Nuka-World.

Ash hadn't quite caught his breath before he was climbing again, wanting more to get to the top than to heed his body's protests. He climbed to the top much the same way he climbed to the center and then came to another problem when he realized now he'd need to get to the seat. Getting as close to the seat as he could, Ash jumped, the seat swaying and dipping under his weight as he caught the edge of it and held on with all his remaining strength.

Huffing out a laugh as the seat swayed slowly, Ash painstakingly hauled himself up into the seat and took another minute to pant heavily. He was shaking a little from exerting himself so much, but he still had a little further to go. Looking up, Ash stood and grabbed the roof of the seat. With a deep breath, Ash climbed up just a little further and finally he was as high as he could get. The seat swayed some from the movement and the stronger winds that came with being so high up, but Ash didn't pay it any mind as he sat down on the roof, finally allowing himself to rest now that he'd reached the peak of the ferris wheel.

He could see **everything** from so high up. Laying his head back on the beam that held the seat to the wheel, Ash let out a content sigh. The view had been worth the climb. Getting back down was going to be a bitch, but for now, he was content. For a full hour Ash sat there, taking in the view, letting his mind wander, picking at the gore under his nails, and enjoying the feeling he got from being up so perilously high. His relaxation was interrupted by the wind suddenly picking up, causing the seat to start swaying again.

Smiling, Ash looked up at the sky and got hit smack in the middle of his forehead by a fat raindrop. Blinking rapidly a few times, Ash looked back down to wipe at his forehead and laughed softly as the sky became quickly full of storm clouds that broke almost immediately. The wind only picked up from there and as the seat swayed particularly violently, Ash slid forward a bit. Winding his arm around the metal beam that held the seat, Ash kept himself from sliding off and looked up at the sky, closing his eyes against the downpour.

The temperature dropped with the wind and rain and Ash was soon soaked to the bone and shivering a bit. For some reason, the sudden storm struck Ash as funny and he found himself giggling at first. As he started to shiver, he began to laugh. Oh, what had he gotten himself into now? Climbing down was going to be nearly impossible. Keeping a firm grip on the beam near his head, Ash stood up, the strong winds making him sway on his feet. He'd have to relay out of this one.

With his wet hair being whipped around by the fierce winds, Ash looked out at his kingdom and had to hold the beam with his other hand from how hard everything struck him as just _so **fucking** funny_. What if he slipped? What if he died right now? After so much hard work, all because he wanted to climb a stupid ferris wheel. Wouldn't that be hilarious? Yes, the answer was yes. Calming down, Ash looked down at the ground so far below and his smile took on a particular quirk around the corners. He didn't **have** to relay away. There was another way down.

_So funny_. Coming closer to the edge of the roof, Ash held on tight to the beam now beside him and gazed down. It was hard to see the ground with all the rain but Ash knew it was down there. He looked out at Kiddie Kingdom again and was stricken by how beautiful it was. The rain had caused a sort of mist from hitting the hot ground and lights and it was illuminated in so many different colors from all the twinkly little lights strewn all over Kiddie Kingdom.

It almost looked like clouds. Like colorful clouds. Dimly, in the back of his mind, Ash realized he could no longer feel his fingers, but that didn't matter. Nothing mattered. _Nothing_. Suddenly frowning, Ash swayed a bit with another strong gust and slowly, very slowly, he slid one foot forward, hovering it over the edge of the roof. Would he hit the clouds before he hit the ground? Would it kill him? Only one way to find out.

Before Ash could cross that line, the ferris wheel gave a lurch and it jolted Ash out of his daze. Tightening the grip that had gone loose around the beam, Ash moved his foot back under him and held on tight as the ferris wheel started moving. When it stopped again, he was near the ground so the swaying of the seat from the stop wasn't nearly as dangerous as it had been when it was happening hundreds of feet in the air.

Looking around, Ash saw Gage standing near the controls, looking, well, definitely not happy. Smiling weakly at the older man, Ash slid down to his knees, still gripping the beam with his numb fingers. "Hey, Gage." He offered, barely audible over the storm even so far away from the worst of the wind.

Walking over to the seat Ash was on, Gage threw his coat up to him. "You're shakin' like a leaf, boss." He said in lieu of a greeting, his tone hard to read even as his face remained set in a scowl.

Slowly releasing the bar he'd been practically clinging to, Ash draped his coat over his shoulders. "How'd you know I was up there?"

"The Disciples said you came this way and never came back." Gage replied, offering his hand to Ash.

"I could've relayed away." Ash muttered, slowly taking Gage's hand and letting him pull him off of the seat. Ash's feet didn't quite get under him in time, but it didn't end up mattering as he found himself supported against Gage's strong chest.

"Yeah, but somethin' told me I oughta check the most dangerous, stupid place I could think of before checkin' Sanctum." Gage said, loosening his grip on Ash as he finally managed to get his legs situated and in a position to support his own weight. "I'm actually surprised it took you three days to try killin' yourself on your own. I thought it'd only take a few hours."

"I wasn't-"

"Ya were." Gage snapped quietly, cutting Ash's protests off. "Ain't no other reason to be standin' so close to the edge of somethin' so tall."

Flinching lightly, Ash looked down, frowning at the guilty feeling in his stomach. "I was just- I was looking around."

"Sure." Gage muttered, putting Ash's hat on his head. "I'm sure you woulda stayed exactly where you were if I hadn'ta started the ride up to getcha down."

Guilt quickly melting away, Ash laughed softly, surprising Gage. "Busted." He muttered, shoving Gage away and taking his hat back off. He swayed a little now that he was entirely supported on his own, but he managed to stay upright. "Wanna know how I got up there?" Ash asked, a chipper note to his voice. "I climbed. It took a really long time. I was gonna climb down too, eventually, but then the rain started." Humming, Ash turned his face to the sky, the lights all around catching his face at odd angles and making it look shadowed. "Then I thought "you know what would be faster?". I was _thiiis_ close." He said, holding two fingers close together as he looked at Gage once again.

Eye narrowing, Gage stepped closer and tried to get a better look at Ash's eyes, holding his face steady so he could look at them. "Are you drunk or high?"

"Little high." Ash admitted, letting Gage turn his head this way and that. "Didn't take any drugs though."

Living around raiders most of his life meant that Gage was good at recognizing the different physical symptoms that different drugs had on a person. His knowledge of how drugs made people look was the only reason he believed Ash. Sighing, Gage released Ash's face and looked at him sternly. "Look, boss, I know you got somethin' wrong with you upstairs, I ain't never met nobody that didn't, but you got a whole-ass kingdom that needs runnin'. I ain't sayin' ya need to play safer or nothin' like that, but I am sayin' you need to work on your impulse control a little. It's one thing to almost die fightin' but that shit up there was intentional."

Smile morphing quickly into a frown and then a sneer as Gage spoke, Ash tilted his head. "Well, maybe you shouldn't have trusted the first random nobody suicidal enough to follow your crazy fucking plan centering around a goddamn squirt gun then, huh?" He asked, feeling nothing when Gage looked surprised. "I mean, what the fuck did you expect? Seems to me we both need to work on our impulse control." Then Ash laughed, snapping his fingers like he'd just remembered something. "Oh wait! Your shitty fucking idea wasn't an impulse! It was a carefully crafted plan!" Humming in a patronizing kind of way, Ash tilted his head in the other direction. "Bad impulse control and shitty planning skills. What a pair, huh?"

Gage's face had gone from surprised to neutral as Ash ranted and he nodded a bit once the teen was finished. "Feel better?"

Looking stricken by the question, Ash's expression switched between several emotions before settling on indignant anger. "Fuck you, Gage."

"Maybe later, boss." Gage said offhandedly, tossing Ash's pack at him. "Right now we need to get outta this rain."

Catching his pack, Ash went to say something again, to argue or yell or _something_, but Gage grabbed his arm and used the device on his wrist to trigger a relay. For a moment, Ash was too shocked to be angry, and by the time he came out of it, Gage was already halfway up the stairs to his room. Torn between wanting to stab Gage in the back and the sinking feeling that he was the one in the wrong, not Gage, Ash just stood there. Eventually he found his way to his room, still warring but deciding to do it in dry clothes.

While he showered, Ash did his best to clean under his nails better. He hadn't thought about how hard it would be to get blood and chunks of burnt person out from under his nails when he'd decided on the approach he did. _He hadn't thought_. Did he ever think? That was a stupid question, of course he thought. Maybe **that** was the actual problem. It wasn't that he didn't think, it was that he listened to the bad thoughts that told him to do things like jump off ferris wheels and stab people he cared about.

Drying off, Ash walked out of the bathroom but froze when he saw Gage in his room, sitting at a desk and scribbling away in his book. Gage actually looked up when Ash came out of the restroom but he quickly looked away again when he realized Ash was naked and Ash decided that he cared for once, pulling a pair of pants on quickly before walking over to the desk. "Why are you in here?" He asked softly, not nearly as angry as he'd been earlier but still annoyed.

"Y'said I could come in here any time I wanted." Gage replied, still scribbling away. "I wanted."

Frowning deeply, Ash decided he didn't feel like dealing with Gage and walked over to a couch. Sitting down, Ash pulled a blanket around himself and made a cocoon from which he watched Gage scribble away. Quite a bit of time passed like that before Ash decided he needed to swallow his pride and listen to the _other_ voice for once. "Gage?" He asked softly, tone considerably more gentle now.

"Yeah, boss?" Gage asked, still not looking up from what he was doing.

"I'm sorry." Ash said quietly, pulling his blanket tighter around himself and looking down when Gage looked at him.

"Is that right?" Gage asked, sounding unimpressed, almost uncaring.

Flinching lightly, Ash sighed. "Yes. I-I didn't mean any of it. And- you're right. I do need to learn how to control myself."

After some silence, Gage set his pencil aside and stood up. Ash looked up at him as he walked over and Gage moved Ash's blanket away from his head. Cupping the teen's cheek, Gage tilted his head up some and then slapped him across the face. Ash gasped and cupped his face, looking more shocked than anything and Gage raised a challenging eyebrow at him when he looked up.

Hesitating, Ash smiled and huffed out a little laugh, looking down. "Yeah, alright. I deserved that." He admitted softly, rubbing at his cheek a bit before letting his hand drop.

Nodding in agreement, Gage went back over to his seat and got back to work. He let Ash bundle back up and stew for a bit longer before he spoke up again. "I forgive you."

Letting out a sigh of relief that he hoped Gage didn't hear, Ash stood up and walked over to the older man. He looked at what Gage was doing and climbed up onto the desk, earning a confused, surprised look from Gage as he sat cross-legged on the smooth wooden surface. "Eighty-seven." Ash said, looking down at the book.

"What?" Gage asked, still surprised and now even more confused.

Pointing at the numbers Gage was currently going over, Ash looked down at him. "This totals eighty-seven."

Leaning back in his chair, Gage looked at Ash in disbelief. "Ya did that in your head?"

"I'm good at math." Ash replied, shrugging lightly and watching as Gage laughed incredulously before putting the number down. Gage flipped to the next page and Ash quickly calculated all the numbers there, giving Gage the total again. This carried on for about an hour before Gage set his pencil aside and sighed deeply.

"Well, that does it. The books have been officially balanced." He said, sounding equal parts relieved and triumphant. "Thanks, by the way. I don't know what they taught people back in pre-war schools, but that was pretty impressive."

Smiling softly, Ash nodded. "I'll help you with the books from now on if you want. I always liked math."

Finally finding his smile, Gage nodded. "Sounds good, boss."


	22. The Commonwealth Part 2

Chapter Specific Characters: Porter Gage, Magical Mystery Chef, Shank, Swanson, Dora (Nubs), Kessler

Chapter Specific Tags/Warnings: Crying

Extra Warning: Ash and Gage are only gonna get closer from here on out, so if that squicks you out, now's the time to cut your losses. There will still be exactly no naughtiness more explicit than gestured vaguely at until Ash is 20, so no worries there.

* * *

After the books were balanced, Ash and Gage ate together, Ash still sitting on the desk with his blanket wrapped loosely around himself so he could eat properly. He'd missed his lunch alarm when it'd gone off because he'd been busy atop the ferris wheel and now it was a couple hours later than it should've been, but at least he was eating. Ash managed to choke down an entire radstag stew, which he'd found in his bag, piping hot despite the fact that he never carried stew on him let alone one fresh enough to be hot, and two razorgrain rolls. He still didn't like food or have much of an appetite, but he was determined to get better.

More than anything, Ash was determined to show Gage he was trying. He needed Gage because he was the only person in the world he cared about and simultaneously resented him for the same reason. Sometimes, he got the feeling that Gage felt the same way. Resentful even as he needed Ash. He figured that was just wishful thinking but Ash wasn't Ash if he wasn't doing thinking of some kind; be it wishful or over, his mind was always running.

On that note, Ash remembered something he'd wanted to talk to Gage about. "So, heard any interesting rumors floating around Nuka-World?" He asked as casually as he could muster, knowing Gage had by the way he stiffened.

Relaxing a second later, Gage looked up at Ash, half finished with his own stew, which he'd found in his own bag, equally hot and confusing as the one Ash had found. "Couple maybe. Why do you ask?" He asked back, trying to sound casual as well.

"Cuz I was hanging with Dixie earlier today and she has a real big mouth." Ash replied, dropping his casual tone. "She's also not afraid of me. Which is equal parts refreshing and aggravating."

Gage wanted to laugh but it wouldn't come out so instead he just swallowed uncomfortably. "Look, boss-"

Stopping Gage by holding a finger out to him briefly, Ash shrugged lightly, smiling just a little at the confused look the older man was giving him now. "I'm not mad."

Blinking once, Gage slumped. Then he blinked again and let out a little huff. "Huh. Thought for sure you'd be out for blood."

"Yeah, so did Dixie. Gave me a big speech about how raiders only have so many simple pleasures and stuff." Ash said, pulling his blanket closer to himself. "I was surprised, maybe a little ticked, but I got over it."

Finally able to laugh, Gage nodded, looking impressed. "Well, look at you actin' all mature n' shit." He said, grinning when Ash's eyes narrowed from the hole in his cocoon. He could only see the teen's eyes but he could imagine what expression was hiding under there.

In reality, Ash was blushing just a little, finding for the first time that he not only didn't mind Gage's praise, but actually liked receiving it. "She didn't just tell me the rumors about us." He said softly, watching as Gage went back to eating his soup. Ash, like the cruel bastard he was, waited until Gage had taken in a particularly large mouthful to provide more details. "She told me some rumors about you too." Just as Ash had hoped, Gage choked and he felt some satisfaction from that. Take **that**, you stupid, saucy cowboy motherfucker. Jesus Christ, had he really just called Gage _saucy_ in his head?

Swallowing his mouthful of stew hard now that he'd almost choked to death on it, Gage cleared his throat. "Oh yeah?" He wheezed, not particularly wanting to look at Ash but glancing up anyway. Gage was surprised by how calm his eyes looked.

"She told me you and Mr. Sexy Accent used to fuck around and that's how everyone got the idea about us." Ash informed, only realizing he'd called Colter "Mr. Sexy Accent" out loud when Gage looked equally confused and amused for a bit.

"Mr. Sexy Accent, huh?" Gage asked, looking away when Ash's eyes narrowed again. "Alright, alright. Yeah, Colter n' me used to fuck. Wasn't no big secret or nothin'." He admitted, getting back to his stew.

There was silence for awhile, enough so that Gage was almost finished with his stew, just down to soaking up the remaining broth with his razorgrain rolls, and then Ash spoke up again. "Do you think it's weird that I tell you goodnight?" He asked suddenly, getting a raised eyebrow from Gage.

"'Course." Gage said easily, shrugging a bit. "Not much weirder than anythin' else you do though." He said, looking back down at his food. "Grew on me, anyhow. Kinda like it now."

Suddenly feeling far too hot under the blanket but refusing to shed it, Ash began to panic. His mind raced through a million thoughts in seconds and when he finally finished shorting out, Gage had finished his food and was leaning back in his chair casually. "Is-is being trans still a thing?" Ash suddenly blurted out, the silence having felt like it stretched on for hours when it'd really only been minutes.

Frowning at the suddenly frantic tone in Ash's voice, Gage looked concerned. "Depends on what the hell "trans" is."

"Transgender?" Ash asked, getting a blank look for his efforts. "Men who are born with vaginas and women who are born with penises?"

A look of understanding dawned on Gage's face and he nodded. "Yeah, course. We just call 'em men and women though." Gage said, raising an eyebrow at Ash. "What made you think that wouldn't be a thing anymore?"

"Well, I figured the concept wouldn't die if people still existed, but the term is dead." Ash explained, able to ignore the whirlwind in his head if he just stayed focus on anything else.

Nodding in understanding, Gage reached into his bag and got out a can of water, cracking it open and taking a sip. "There's chems to help get their bodies actin' the way they want and surgery for the physical stuff. I don't think it's a big deal." He thought about it and shrugged again, taking another sip of his drink. "I could start callin' you by somethin' 'sides Ash if that's why you're askin'."

"You never use my name." Ash muttered, recognizing the offer for what it had actually been a second later and shaking his head. "No, I'm not trans."

Nodding again, Gage sipped at his water before looking Ash up and down and frowning. Sanctum was a comfortably cool temperature all the time and Gage could understand bundling up for bed, but surely Ash wasn't still **that** cold from the rain. The thought of the rain, or more accurately, what had happened during it, made Gage frown more. "Could you come out of there, please?" He asked softly, fully expecting Ash to cover up his eyes just because he was a little shit like that and finding himself surprised when Ash slowly unearthed his head.

Ash was still flushed, the heat under the blanket having not helped, and he really hadn't wanted to come out, but now it was too late to duck back in. Maybe he was feeling indulgent, maybe he was just weak, or maybe he was serious about fighting the little asshole voice that made him want to do stupid, petty shit like cover himself fully when Gage had asked him to come out. He wasn't sure, but now he was out and Gage was staring at him way too intensely for his liking.

After making Ash thoroughly uncomfortable for a moment, Gage finally spoke. "Do you know what it's like to know for sure that someone you care about is gonna die, boss?" He asked softly, tone deceptively neutral.

Feeling a sinking feeling in his stomach, Ash shook his head slowly. "No, I don't." He answered softly. And truthfully, he didn't. Ash hadn't cared about a single solitary individual in his life before the war. He really hadn't ever cared about anyone until he'd bonded with Gage.

"I do." Gage said softly "I've seen you do some pretty stupid shit and at the worst of it, I always thought "welp, there goes the Overboss". But when I saw you standin' on top of that ferris wheel, all I could think of was how I couldn't lose you." He paused, swallowing, his tone wavering a bit on the last few words. "How I couldn't lose you. Not the Overboss, but you."

Breath hitching, Ash watched in shocked stillness as Gage stood slowly, now level with him. The older man reached out, having set his water down, and cupped both of Ash's cheeks, making sure the teen couldn't look away as he looked into his eyes.

"Ash, if you ever make me feel that feeling again-" Gage trailed off, shaking his head softly before returning his gaze to Ash's almost glowing amber eyes. "Promise me you won't ever pull a stunt like that again. If I ever ask you for anything else ever again, throw this in my face, and that'll be just fine, but just-" He almost choked, gritting his teeth and forcing his voice not to quiver. "-just promise me you won't ever pull a stunt like that again. Please."

Gage could hold it back. He was in his thirties and had years to learn how. Ash was only eighteen and his emotions were strong and wild. He had precious little experience suppressing them and only slightly more controlling them. Gage had managed not to, but Ash had started to cry. "I promise." He whispered, realizing with a heart-wrenching, sinking, sick sort of feeling that this is what it feels like to know you've hurt someone you love.

Letting out a breath, Gage released Ash's face and did something he'd only been brave enough to do once so far: he pulled Ash into a hug. "I mean it, boss." He whispered, feeling Ash go rigid and then relax again almost immediately after. Then the teen's arms were around him and Gage rested his head on Ash's. "You drive me fuckin' crazy, but I can't lose you."

Biting down on his cheek hard so he didn't make any sound, Ash simply nodded, trying hard not to sniffle or sob even though Gage already knew he was crying. It fucking burned. Ash wasn't much of a crier and it burned like he couldn't ever remember it burning before. He wasn't sure why it burned, but it certainly wasn't helping him calm down. Then something slipped out of his mouth and the moment it did and Gage tensed up, he wished he could take it back. But then Gage said it back and suddenly Ash couldn't keep himself quiet anymore, the tight, choking feeling in his throat giving way to the most pathetic noises he'd ever heard anyone make in his life.

"I-I love you, Gage."

"I love you too, Ash."

When Ash woke up the next morning, he felt like shit. He eventually remembered all the crying he'd done the night before and immediately knew that was the culprit. Fucking unstable emotions. Groaning, Ash dragged himself out of bed and went about his morning. Once he was slightly more awake and felt less like shit, he remembered that he and Gage had exchanged l-words and it gave him a spike of panic that made him wake up fully.

They'd been having a moment when he'd let it slip, who knew how Gage actually felt? Oh, fuck, what if he'd made things awkward? Ash's panicked ponderings were interrupted when Gage entered his room, looking far more calm than Ash. Of fucking course he was calm, he wasn't an unstable, emotional wreck, he was put-together and-

"Boss? You still with me?" Gage asked, pulling the hand that he'd been waving in front of Ash's face back when the teen jerked hard and seemed to come out of whatever daze he'd fallen into. "You alright?"

"No." Ash answered instantly, regretting it a second later and tying to backpedal. "Yes. Of course. Why wouldn't I be? Certainly not because-"

"Boss." Gage interrupted, looking tired now. "If you wanna pretend last night didn't happen, we can do that, but I meant what I said and I'm about ready to get this show back on the road."

Letting out a long, low breath as if he were a balloon that was deflating slowly, Ash had to take a moment for all that to process. "So, things aren't gonna be weird now?" He asked slowly, coming down from his panicked state gradually.

"Not any weirder than they were with us pussy-footin' around the issue." Gage responded, crossing his arms over his chest. "Now, not to rush or nothin', be we been held up too long. The Commonwealth's gone unconquered long enough." Ash smiled softly at that and Gage smiled back, Ash's smile growing considerably after he himself had smiled. "Ready to go, boss? Day's nice and young, I'm feelin' like we can get lots of shit done today."

"Yeah." Ash responded, feeling light and calm for the first time in awhile. He reached out and Gage took his hand, a relay zapping them off to Nuka-World shortly after. Shank looked oddly relieved to see Gage and Ash together but it was quickly covered by his usual neutral mask as he stepped up to the pair.

"Ready to get back to it, boss?" He asked, offering the pair a calm smile and getting his book out.

"Yep. Bring on the next settlement." Ash said, wondering in the back of his mind if the rumor mill was cranking out anything about yesterday. _"I heard the Overboss couldn't handle torturing someone and tried to off himself."_ He could imagine it.

"Next closest is Covenant." Shank informed, flipping through his book and looking up at Ash. "Really more of a small town than a settlement. My sources tell me it's walled and pretty well-defended so they might actually give you a challenge."

A challenge. Not trouble, just a challenge. Maybe the rumor mill hadn't gotten wind of his suicide attempt if Shank was still treating him like he knew what he was doing. "Sounds like fun. I'll give it to the Operators." Ash said, holding his Pip-Boy out to Shank. He got the coordinates and left immediately with Gage, excited to get back to conquering after all the _other_ shit he'd been up to.

Ash and Gage arrived an inconspicuous distance from Covenant and then walked the rest of the way. Ash didn't draw his weapons right away and so neither did Gage. The settlement really was as well-defended as Shank had said, surrounded by tall walls with turrets chugging away on little platforms here and there. There was even a guy guarding the gate. He wasn't any Diamond City synth, but it was more than most settlements had.

When Ash and Gage got too close to the gate, the guard spoke up. "You two here visiting Covenant?" He asked, making Ash look at him. "If not, move along. You know, armed people loitering around, not good for the nerves." The guy seemed friendly enough but Ash didn't care for being told "move along".

"I can barely hear you over the turrets up there and you're worried about my weapons?" Ash asked, deciding not to go right for stabbing just yet. He didn't want the turrets deciding he was a threat at least until he'd gotten into the town.

To the guard's credit, he looked a little sheepish at that. "Can't ever be too careful." He offered, shrugging lightly. "Anyhow, you two want in?"

"Yeah." Ash replied flatly, not liking the way the guy perked up.

"Since you're a first timer, there's something you gotta know first. We don't just let anyone inside. There's an entrance test. We call it the SAFE test." He informed, seeming to catch the shift in Ash's general aura as he tipped from slightly annoyed to mildly inconvenienced and his mood shifted accordingly. "Everyone's gotta take it."

Now Ash had options. He could either waste his time and agree to take the test, whatever that entailed, or he could just blow this guy's brains out and storm the town. One option was obviously more appealing than the other, but Ash found himself curious. "What's the test?"

"I ask you some questions and you answer 'em. Real simple." The guard responded, still not letting his friendly tone slip. "There ain't even any wrong answers."

Suddenly Ash was reminded of sitting on an ugly beige couch in an office that was far too sterile while trying desperately to appear welcoming with a woman sitting across from him in an equally ugly beige armchair, pencil at the ready, looking far too earnest to try and hide the ice in her eyes, telling him to answer honestly, _there are no wrong answers_. _What's this blob look like? First word that comes to mind. Let's explore that._ Shuddering a bit, Ash raised his pistol and shot the man in the head a few times. "No."

There was a collective whir and Gage started taking out turrets as they locked onto Ash and then himself. Ash got the key from the corpse slumped against the wall and unlocked the gate, walking inside and not bothering with the turrets even as the ones that could reach him started firing. Gage would take them out before they could do more than riddle him with bruises and right now he needed to worry about the pissed-off townspeople who were coming out of their houses, guns at the ready.

Ash tried going for legs so he could keep some people around to run the small farm off to the side of Covenant, but the people here were persistent and in the end, only one man who hadn't ever started firing, a Mister Handy robot, and three injured settlers remained. Everyone else had chosen to fight to the death. By the time Ash finished killing the settlers who fought, Gage had finished taking out the turrets.

"Go ahead and give those injured settlers the speech and get them collared." Ash said, looking over his shoulder at Gage. "I'm gonna hack the robot."

"Sure thing, boss." Gage replied, heading over to the injured settlers and giving them his best approximation of the "on behalf of Nuka-World" speech Ash always gave before collaring them and relieving them of their belongings.

The robot in question was obliviously hovering near a house as Ash approached it and tried to sell him lemonade when he got close enough. Ash ignored the offer and easily plugged his Pip-Boy into the robot's access port. He reprogrammed it in a little over a minute and unplugged, still ignoring it when it blinked back online and continued to try and sell him lemonade. Noticing the man who hadn't pulled a gun was still standing around, looking shocked, Ash walked over with his shotgun at the ready. That seemed to snap the man out of it and he held his hands up defensively.

"Whoa, whoa, I ain't one of them!" He shouted, waving his hands a bit. "I was just here investigating a missing caravan!"

"Merc, huh?" Ash asked, getting a hasty nod from the man and nodding a bit himself. "You can go then." He said, motioning at the gate and watching as the man practically tripped over himself to get away. A nudge at his side caused Ash to look over and he saw Gage standing there, an odd look on his face.

"Awful generous of you, boss." He said, his tone off as well.

Frowning, Ash shrugged. "Nothing like letting a witness go every now and again to really get the news spreading." He lied easily, Gage's expression softening as he nodded thoughtfully. Why the hell would he collar someone who didn't even live in the town? There was a difference between collaring settlers who were already doing what Ash was forcing them into and enslaving randos who had actual lives. Wasn't there? Ash felt there was.

Since there wasn't any construction that needed to be done, Ash linked up with the workshop in the settlement and replaced the turrets Gage had destroyed. He designated the largest house to be the actual settlers house since the three of them would be sharing it and then made sure there were plenty of beds for the Operators when they arrived.

It was while Ash was tidying up the houses and counting beds that some movement caught his eye. He looked around and saw a small shape under a bed he'd just counted. Frowning, Ash went over and knelt down, finding a cat huddled under the bed, watching him with an expression one could only describe as suspicious. Eyes widening, Ash reached out slowly and his heart stuttered when the cat didn't flinch away.

Gently pulling the cat out, Ash sat down and set the small animal on his lap. It was stiff but as Ash stroked down its back gently, it began to relax and then purr. Smiling, Ash went to touch the cat's head and it leaned up to bump into his hand. Ash nearly melted. "I'm keeping you." He said softly, pulling the cat close and standing up. It remained docile in his arms as he went outside to find Gage keeping an eye on the settlers who were helping eachother with their injuries.

"I need to stop by Sanctum for a bit." Ash informed, watching as Gage glanced his way and did a double-take.

"You found a cat." He said, raising an eyebrow. "Ya keepin' it?"

Nodding, Ash adjusted his hold on the cat protectively. "I'm gonna name her Nubs."

Smiling a bit, Gage nodded. "Alright. Well, I'll keep an eye on Covenant while you're gone, boss."

"Thanks, Gage." Ash said, managing to trigger a relay while holding Nubs and taking her up to his room. He set her down and gave her a few more strokes before she decided she'd rather explore her new home than get attention. Considering the things he'd need, Ash found two bowls and filled one with water. He set the bowls where he thought Nubs would be able to find them and put a command into his Pip-Boy. His alarm to eat went off shortly after and Ash obeyed while he searched for the supplies he'd need.

It took Ash awhile to find a plastic container that he thought would be a good litter box, but he found something eventually and put it near the restroom. Toys. Cats needed toys. After a bit of pondering, Ash decided to make her some toys since he couldn't think of anything he had on hand that would work. He was halfway through making Nubs some toys when the synth he'd ordered came in followed by another synth. The first one was holding a large bag and a box while the other was holding a small refrigerator.

Pointing to an open space, Ash looked at the second synth. "Put the fridge there. It does work, right?"

"Affirmative. The coolant has been replaced and it was tested." The synth confirmed plugging the mini fridge into the wall.

"Good." Looking at the first synth, Ash held his arms out and the synth handed over the box and bag. "There's a box near my restroom, put some of the sand in it and then put the bag nearby." He ordered, motioning to the bag and taking the box over to a table when the synth took it and left. Ash opened it up and smiled at all the little containers of chopped meat within. He filled up the fridge with the exception of one container which was emptied into Nubs' second bowl.

Setting the container aside, Ash continued making cat toys and dismissed the synths when they both came up to ask if that was all. The making of the toys didn't take long since Ash was quite good at tinkering and when he was finished, Nubs had two balls, one that jingled, and a few small stuffies Ash hoped she'd like hunting or packing around. He couldn't think of anything else Nubs might need and so relayed back to Covenant after sending out a quick memo to all his synths to treat Nubs like royalty.

When Ash arrived at Covenant, Gage was leaning against one of the houses, looking as imposing as he always did when they were conquering a new place. He walked over and Gage straightened up, meeting him halfway. "Not alot to do on this one, huh, boss?" He asked, looking around at the already fully furnished settlement.

"Yeah. No telling how long it'll take for the Operators to get here." Ash agreed, looking around as well. "Where'd the settlers go?"

"I let 'em head inside. Figured they could get to work once they healed."

"Generous of you." Ash mocked, smirking when Gage narrowed his eye at him.

Then Gage smiled a little and stepped forward, pulling Ash's mask down and pecking his lips. He smirked at Ash's shocked expression and fixed his mask. "Shut the fuck up, wise ass." Gage grumbled, stepping back and looking away like nothing had happened.

Once his brain finished rebooting, Ash looked down, still too shocked to say anything as his face steadily turned red. He managed to clear his throat eventually and looked at his Pip-Boy. "I suppose I could call some synths in so we can move on to the next settlement." Ash mumbled, glancing to the side when Gage nudged his arm.

"Hey, remember when I said to let me know if I ever started overstepping my bounds?" He asked softy, looking a tad concerned.

Smiling softly, Ash nodded. "Don't worry, I will." He assured, looking back down to his Pip-Boy when Gage nodded and relaxed. He entered a command and after a few minutes, a courser and a handful of synths appeared. "You're all gonna keep an eye on these settlers until the Operators get here and relieve you." Ash informed, all of his embarrassment gone while he bossed his synths around. "Just make sure they're tending the crops and if they try to rebel or something, try non-fatal force first. If something you can't handle comes up, send for me."

"Understood." The courser responded, motioning for the synths to spread out before walking off.

While double-checking that there wasn't anything else that needed to be done at Covenant, Ash realized none of the houses had electricity and cracked that out in a few hours before finally leaving with Gage. To say Shank looked surprised to see them would be an understatement. Or maybe an overstatement, considering how little Shank actually looked surprised. For him, it was alot of emotion showing all at once.

"I'm ready for the next settlement." Ash informed, feeling a certain smug satisfaction when Shank looked impressed.

"Not much of a challenge after all, huh, boss?" Shank asked coyly, doing some scribbling in his book.

"Not for me and Gage, no." Ash responded, eyes wandering the area as he spoke. "Left a few synths to look over the place since I didn't wanna wait around doing nothing."

Nodding, Shank flipped to another page. "Alright, well the next settlement is Bunker Hill." He paused, looking up at Ash. "Bunker Hill is **actually** a small town. It's got a market and a hotel and everything. You might wanna go over and have yourself a look around before you go promising it to anyone." Shank shrugged, getting his pencil ready. "Up to you, 'course. You're the boss."

Nodding a bit, Ash finally let his eyes rest on Shank. "I'll check it out then. Whatever I decide, I'll send someone to let you know. Give me another settlement to clear in the meantime."

"Sure thing, boss." Shank said, doing some scribbling before entering both coordinates into Ash's Pip-Boy. "This one's Egret Tours Marina. No farm, only one settler, but it was armed last time I checked."

"Sounds easy. We should be back in no time." Ash said, looking at the coordinates before looking back up at Shank. "I'll let you know which gang to send out to the marina once I've decided about Bunker Hill."

"Sounds good, boss."

Waiting patiently while Gage picked up more shock collars, Ash adjusted the relay points he'd be using. When Gage returned, he triggered the relay and they did some walking before arriving at Bunker Hill. It had walls as well, but unlike Covenant, the gate was open. A woman stood by, gun at the ready but Ash couldn't hear any turrets chugging away.

As soon as the woman caught sight of Ash and Gage, she stiffened up a bit, pulling her gun closer. The closer they got, the stiffer she got, but she actually lowered her gun. By the time Ash stopped in front of the woman, she looked incredibly tense. "Overboss Ash?" She asked, Gage and Ash sharing a look before Ash nodded.

"Yeah."

Nodding a bit, the woman put her gun away, seeming to force herself to relax. "Bunker Hill doesn't want any trouble. If it'll keep us on your good side, consider yourself to have the run of the place." The woman said, motioning back at the small town with one hand. "And if you ever need somethin', just ask, alright?"

Tilting his head a bit, Ash regarded the woman before nodding slowly. "So if I wanted to move a few synths in to make sure you hold to that, none of the people around here would find that objectionable?"

"No, sir." The woman confirmed, cutting her eyes to Gage briefly before focusing her attention back on Ash.

Humming a bit, Ash nodded. "Alright. Consider yourselves on my good side." He said, walking a little further into the town before snapping his fingers and looking back at the woman. "And it's "boss", not "sir"."

The woman had just been about to actually relax before Ash turned his attention on her again and she nodded stiffly. "Right. Yes, boss."

Smiling a bit, Ash started walking around the small town. It was bustling despite its size. Definitely not as busy as Diamond City, but its small size made it seem more hectic. Ash found the workshop and linked up with it, using it to put a few turrets around the outside of Bunker Hill but leaving the inside untouched. After he'd finished with that, he assigned two small teams of synths to patrol Bunker Hill and then turned to Gage, feeling satisfied.

"I think that's it." Ash said, smiling when Gage nodded.

"A whole-ass town under your control." Gage said, smirking at Ash. "Gonna make some real caps getting a cut from this."

"If you think this is impressive, wait 'til you see the cut we'll be raking in from Diamond City." Ash said, grinning when Gage simply stood there, looking surprised and confused.

"We- when did you decide we're goin' after Diamond City?" Gage asked, sounding more surprised than anything.

"I already took it." Ash replied, smiling even more when Gage's eyebrows rose comically high on his face. "I was busy while we were apart. It's not my fault you never asked what I got up to."

"I didn't think you'd take over the biggest town in the Commonwealth while we were apart!" Gage hissed, coming closer to Ash so he could talk quieter. "How-"

Gage was cut off as some synths flashed into the town, making their way over to Ash. Ignoring Gage for the moment, Ash looked at the synths. "You're all going to guard this city. Refer to the Diamond City and Slog rules for what that entails." The synths gave him their affirmatives and Ash dismissed them, holding a finger out to Gage when he started to say something and looking at a synth that came up to him once the guards dissipated. "I want you to relay to Nuka-Town and let Shank know that Bunker Hill is under my rule and it won't be occupied. Egret Tours Marina is going to the Disciples."

"Understood." The synth confirmed, relaying away once Ash dismissed them.

Finally, Ash looked at Gage. "Yes?"

"What did you do while we were apart?" Gage demanded, now feeling that he really needed to know.

Smiling in amusement at Gage, Ash looked down at his Pip-Boy. "How about I tell you over lunch?" He offered, looking back up at Gage. "My alarm'll be going off soon, so we'd have to break for it anyway."

"Your alarm?" Gage asked, frowning a bit in confusion at Ash.

"C'mon." Ash said, motioning with his head and leaving Bunker Hill with Gage. He led the way to some nearby docks and actually found a decently intact table with a few sturdy-ish chairs to sit at. Ash got his food out and set his bag aside, waiting for Gage to do the same before he started talking. "So, first I came across this kid who thought he saw a monster out in the water. I was curious so I swam out there and it was submarine with a pre-war ghoul inside. He needed help fixing his sub so he could go home, so I helped." Gage gave Ash a questioning look at that and Ash nodded. "I know, I know, but I got something pretty cool in return."

Reaching down into his bag, Ash pulled out one of the beacons and showed it to Gage. "If I throw this, it activates and works as a beacon for Zao. He can then lock onto the beacon and fire a low-yield nuke from his submarine."

"Oh hell no." Gage said, looking horrified. "The last thing your crazy ass needs is access to fuckin' nukes."

Ash wanted to be offended, but he knew Gage had a point. Shrugging lightly, Ash put the beacon back in his bag. "Only way for me to get rid of them is to use them. I can always throw them into the ocean or something."

Sighing softly, Gage nodded. "Alright, but I'm gonna be there when you do it."

Now **that** stung a bit, but Ash couldn't hold Gage's distrust against him. "Fair." He sighed lightly, taking a bite of his food before carrying on. "So anyway, after that, I found an all-ghoul settlement and helped them deal with a super mutant problem. They're under my protection like Bunker Hill and Diamond City now."

"So that's the Slog, then?" Gage asked, having heard Ash mention some rules that had to do with Diamond City and a place called the Slog."

"Yeah." Ash replied, eating between talking and taking Gage's interruptions as an opportunity to really cram the food down. "So then the next day I went to Diamond City because the ghouls at the Slog told me about how the ex-mayor there had kicked them all out. I can't stand a racist, so I took over." He was proud of that one and sounded it, smiling as he spoke. "Now ghouls are allowed in the city and anyone who doesn't like it can eat laser."

Snorting at that, Gage shook his head. "Well, guess it doesn't matter **why** you took the city, what matters is the caps it's gonna pull in for us."

Shrugging, Ash thought for a moment, mentally replaying the order of events. "I realized I'm bad at eating and decided to set alarms so I can stop losing weight." He said, humming a bit as he thought again. "The next day I went back to Nuka-World and that's when I was hanging out with Dixie. Then the-" Ash paused, looking down and poking at his food. "-the ferris wheel happened."

There was a bit of silence before Gage responded, deciding not to linger on that last part. "You n' Dixie do anythin' besides gossip?" He asked as lightly as he could manage, frowning when the change in subject didn't make Ash look any more comfortable.

"Yeah." Ash said slowly, taking a few bites of his food and swallowing it down quickly. "See, when I went to see her, she was torturing someone." He started, cutting his eyes up at Gage. "And she convinced me to give it a try."

"Oh." Gage said, the words seeming to dawn on him a moment later. "_Oh._" He said more slowly, nodding a bit. "I, uh- did you enjoy yourself?"

Refusing to look up from his food, Ash simply nodded. There was a long stretch of silence as they ate, Ash quickly finishing up his food and waiting quietly while Gage ate. It quickly became too much for Ash and he spoke up. "Does that bother you?" He asked softly, looking up at Gage.

Taking a moment to ponder the question, Gage shook his head slowly. "Knew you had the streak for it that day with Red-Eye. Honestly thought you'd done it before then with how- well, **into it** you seemed when you had him beggin' for his life and all that." He said, shrugging lightly and looking back down at his own food. "Might like to see you work sometime. Always liked watchin' you work with your hands, after all."

"Yeah, I noticed that." Ash said, able to ignore the flush that wanted to burn on his cheeks when he focused on the other part of Gage's statement. "I think you have some sharing of your own to do."

To say Ash didn't expect the reaction he got was an understatement. Gage's eye widened and he pursed his lips, his cheeks flushing a bit as he looked down. "I, uh, I maybe got a thing for hands."

Blinking slowly, Ash let that sink in and then grinned broadly. "You have a hand fetish?" He asked softly, leaning forward a bit.

"And you get your rocks off on makin' people scared, everyone has somethin'." Gage said defensively, glaring at Ash and feeling even more annoyed when Ash just kept smiling.

Suddenly Ash stopped smiling, looking thoughtful. Somehow, Gage found that even worse than the smiling. "So if I tortured someone, and you watched, because I have a thing for making people afraid and you have a thing for hands, we-"

"Alright, I'm done eatin'." Gage announced loudly, indeed having just finished with his food. "We should get a move on. Day's still young."

Nodding slowly, Ash put his mask on and fixed his hat. "We're revisiting this." He said seriously, getting a tired sigh from Gage as he set up a relay.

"Yeah, alright, boss." Gage mumbled, unable to help a small smile as they were relayed away to their next destination.


	23. The Commonwealth Part 3

Chapter Specific Characters: Porter Gage, Phyllis Daily, H1-87, Shank

Chapter Specific Tags/Warning: Non-explicit blowjob

* * *

"Place doesn't **look** armed." Ash muttered, looking at Egret Tours Marina from a distance. "Looks abandoned."

"Shank's info ain't never wrong, boss. Man prides himself on always havin' good info." Gage replied, standing behind Ash.

"Well, screw it." Ash sighed, walking towards the marina and triggering a mine almost as soon as he'd stepped onto the docks. As soon as the countdown started, Ash dropped to a crouch and stuck his finger under the trigger, locating the off-switch a second before the mine was going to detonate and flipping it. Letting out a sigh, Ash fell back onto his ass.

"Boss." Gage said tightly, looking a warring mix of pissed and impressed.

"I know!" Ash sighed, tilting his head back to look at Gage. "I'm sorry, I panicked. My first instinct was to shut it off, not to run. It was too late to fight it by the time I realized what I was doing.

After a bit, Gage sighed deeply and shook his head. "Ya got shitty instincts, boss."

"Yeah." Ash agreed, righting his head and pointing further down the docks. "There's more of them. They'll be easier to shut down since I know they're there."

Squinting, Gage looked out where Ash was pointing and saw a few scattered red lights hidden decently by leaves and other debris. He pursed his lips and considered his options for a bit before sighing in defeat. "Alright."

Staying low, Ash easily turned off all the mines around the docks before most of them even started their countdown. He was aware of Gage following him, likely hoping that the knowledge that he'd be getting caught in the blast as well would deter Ash from doing anything stupid. That only made Ash more determined not to fuck up and to prove to Gage that he planned on keeping his promise to get better.

Glancing around after about five more mines, Ash stood up and gave a nod. "Coast's clear." He announced, taking his pistol out and kicking in the door to the marina.

Within was a single older woman, gun raised and trained on Ash. "Kid, I don't know who you are, but you'd better clear out before I go haywire and blast you." She shouted, keeping her gun on Ash as he came further into the room to let Gage in.

As tempted as Ash was to blast her then and there for calling him "kid", the haywire thing caught his attention and made him curious enough to curb his trigger finger. "Haywire?"

"It means I'm a synth, you numskull, and if you don't take off I'm liable to put a hole in your head." The woman informed loudly, her tone a mix of threatening and warning.

Smiling slowly, Ash lowered his gun, the darker part of his mind perking up. "What makes you think you're a synth?" He asked softly, tilting his head a bit.

"Black-outs. People I've hurt that I don't remember." The woman listed, her aim unwavering, not even seeming to notice Gage with his gun trained on her. "Any second now they might send some signal or I'll see the color orange or whatever it is they do and- boom." She said, her tone becoming frantic before she quietly added the "boom", suddenly seeming very sad. "One more dead fool." She muttered, taking a breath and getting right back to ornery easily. "Now, are you gonna get out of here or wait for them to make me kill you?"

Giggling softly, Ash raised his Pip-Boy and pushed some buttons. Shortly after, there was a blue flash and H1-87 appeared beside him. "You wanted to see me?" They asked calmly, not even sparing either of the other two people in the room a glance. Gage took a step away from H1-87 and the woman for her part looked too shocked to do anything.

"Yes. Is this woman a synth?" Ash asked, smiling behind his mask and motioning at the woman in question.

Looking at the woman, H1-87 stepped forward and she snapped out of her stupor, suddenly raising her gun to them. "You stay away from me!" She shouted, shaking and firing when H1-87 came closer still. The bullet didn't do anything to their heavy courser coat and they grabbed her gun, bending the barrel so that it was now unusable.

Reaching forward calmly now that the woman was back in a proper shocked state of silent compliance, H1-87 used a device on their wrist to scan her and then stepped back. "Negative." They said, looking to Ash.

Laughing darkly, Ash tilted his head at the woman. "This is a synth, lady. A **real** synth." He said, motioning over at H1-87. "Whatever shit you've done, you did on your own, no Institute meddling required." Ash informed, eyes taking on that almost-glowing quality they had when he was feeling strong emotions as that sank in slowly and the woman went limp with despair before his very eyes.

"Oh god." She muttered, knocking her hat off in order to scrub a hand up her forehead. "Oh god, no."

"God can't hear you, lady." Ash said, kneeling in front of the woman and holding out his pistol. "But I bet if you asked the devil nicely, he'd end it for you." He offered, voice bordering on sweet but mostly just cruel.

Letting out a sob, the woman bared her most vital parts, tilting her head back and spreading her arms. "Just do it." She sniffled softly, crying hard but trying to keep from making too much noise.

Humming briefly, Ash pressed the gun to the soft meat under her chin. "That was shitty, but even the devil can be merciful sometimes." He said, pulling the trigger and giggling softly as the woman's brains painted over the tacky boat paintings on the walls. "You're dismissed, H1-87." Ash said offhandedly, turning to look at Gage once H1-87 relayed away. The look on Gage's face made Ash pause. He looked a mix of disturbed and, strangely, aroused.

"So-" Gage started, stopping to clear his throat lightly. "That's new. The uh- the "ask nicely for it" approach."

Smiling shyly, Ash shrugged a bit, holstering his pistol. "You don't look entirely against it."

Laughing nervously, Gage looked away. "Mighta been a little excitin' to watch." He admitted, starting when he looked forward again and Ash was _right there_. It took Gage a beat too long to realize Ash had his mask down and when he did, the teen had already stolen a quick kiss from him and was fixing his mask.

"Saucy cowboy motherfucker." Ash muttered, walking past Gage to get back outside.

"Sau- what?" Gage asked loudly, following Ash out. "What'd you just call me?"

"I think you heard me." Ash replied, shooting Gage a smug look before collecting the mines he'd disarmed from outside the marina. He put them in his bag while Gage glared at him. Since he was busy, Ash didn't see Gage's glare morph into a smirk. He did, however, feel it when he straightened up and Gage grabbed him gently by the hips from behind.

"Darlin'." Gage whispered in his ear, his voice lower and more husky than Ash had ever heard it. He quickly pulled back and managed to just barely avoid Ash elbowing him in the ribs. Ash whipped around to glare at him and Gage was wearing a smug grin of his own.

"That's cheating, you dick." Ash accused, face red under his mask.

"I don't recall us settin' down any rules." Gage retorted, shrugging and grinning when Ash's eyes narrowed at him.

"You win this round." Ash admitted after a bit, tearing his eyes from Gage to walk back into the marina. "But I'll get you."

"Lookin' forward to it, boss." Gage said, following Ash and leaning against the wall to watch him as he linked up with the workshop and went about making the marina secure and livable.

Several hours passed before Ash decided the Egret Tours Marina was "Ash-approved" and ready for raiders. He hadn't bothered to call any synths in since he didn't need to build any actual buildings and, even though he'd offered several times, Ash refused to let Gage help, insisting that he had it. Gage got the feeling that Ash was just too picky about how he thought things should be and that's why he wouldn't let him help. He kept that to himself though.

Regardless, the work was done, and Ash called in two of the more robotic synths to hold the settlement together before the Disciples arrived, ordering another in to take the body of the woman back to Sanctum. He needed some fresh decorations, the ones he'd made out of the ex-Institute were getting ripe even for him. Once the synths that were to watch the settlement were set up, which didn't take long at all, Ash looked to Gage.

"Well, I think three settlements in a day is productive enough for me." He declared, looking down to fiddle with his Pip-Boy. "One more stop and then I'm heading to Sanctum for the night."

"Where we headed, boss?" Gage asked, stepping closer to Ash for the inevitable relay. It was nice not having to walk anywhere. He wasn't really sure how the relay worked and he doubted he'd understand even if Ash explained it to him, but it was damn convenient.

"The ocean." Ash responded, far too casually, before reaching out and triggering the relay once he had Gage's hand.

Despite what Ash's answer had implied, the two men came out of the relay on a beach. Yes, the ocean was right there, but Ash had made it sound like they were going swimming or some shit. Just as Gage was looking over to voice as much, he realized what Ash was up to and closed his mouth. Ash was rifling through his bag.

Pulling out the three beacons he'd shown Gage earlier in the day, Ash looked out at the ocean. He might've saved these for something, once upon a time, or tried to come up with something more fun to use them for, but considering everything that had happened recently, he honestly just wanted to get rid of them. Gage was right, he didn't need access to nukes, he didn't have the impulse control to have access to nukes. He didn't need to look over to know Gage was watching him tensely.

Twisting the antennas of the beacons together, Ash cocked his arm back and threw them as hard as he could. They stayed together thanks to their twisted antennas and actually flew pretty far due to their combined weight. Still, Ash grabbed his bag and then Gage's hand, triggering another relay before the whistling of the nukes coming by overhead could even be heard. No chances, no risks, nothing stupid. Ash wasn't even sure the beacons had worked, but it didn't matter, they weren't his problem anymore.

Finally looking at Gage once they were safe inside Sanctum, Ash was relieved to see that he was smiling. "Thought for sure you'd at least try to stick around to watch the blast." Gage said, sounding something close to pleased. "But I guess you're really serious about not givin' me anymore heart attacks."

Nodding softly, Ash looked away again. "I wanna get better. I don't ever wanna find myself hovering over the edge again." He sighed softly, rubbing one of his arms a bit. "I'm tired of listening to the voice that tells me to die all the time."

Feeling that weird protective feeling he sometimes felt when Ash actually looked his age, Gage had to resist the urge to hug him. "If there's anything I can do to help you, boss, you just let me know." He offered gently, reaching to touch Ash's arm and gasping when Ash hugged him first for once.

"Just don't give up on me." Ash said softly, sighing lightly when Gage hugged him back.

"Don't worry, boss, I already told you I'm in this for the long haul."

Pulling back after a bit, Ash flashed Gage a smile, having removed his mask at some point during the hug, and started to head to his room. "I'm gonna clean up and then I'm gonna tinker." He stopped and looked over his shoulder at Gage. "You can watch if you want."

Keeping his cool easily despite the zip of excitement he felt at being given permission to watch Ash tinker, Gage nodded. "Sounds fun, boss."

Smiling again, Ash continued up the stairs, heading straight for his beloved shower once he reached his room. If the showers in Sanctum weren't so small, he might've invited Gage to join him for that too. Maybe it was something he could get renovated when he had the synths to spare. Currently all his spares were busy taking down his old decorations and turning them into fertilizer. Shaun and the old Directorate had already been cleaned up. Ash would miss chatting with his brother but he supposed it wouldn't kill him to simply talk aloud to himself without someone to aim it at.

Or maybe he'd have someone pick up the Codsworth husk from Sanctuary. If it was even still there. That thought made him snicker. He hadn't been to Sanctuary since H1-87 had dragged him to the Institute. That seemed like such a long time ago that at first it seemed possible that the area could've been claimed by someone, but Sanctuary's defenses had been on when he left and since he hadn't been back, they were still on. If anyone had tried to claim the area, they would've had to deal with all his turrets and traps. Honestly, if someone got past all that, and then also got past the _smell_, which had to be honestly putrid by now, they **deserved** Sanctuary.

Ash would go, pick up the Codsworth husk, shake their hand, and wish them luck. Shaking his head at the thought as he dried off, Ash put on some pants and found himself distracted by the thought of one day not having to pull the drawstrings so much to make them stay on his hips. _Baby steps._ It would take time, but he'd get there, he was committed.

When Ash finally came out of the restroom, Gage was already waiting in his room. "Did all people take forever in the shower before the war or is that just a you thing, boss?" He asked, looking quite comfortable stretched out on Ash's favorite couch.

"Living here gives me more clean hot water than I could ever use, so what's the rush?" Ash asked back, walking past Gage to his workshop.

"That ain't an answer." Gage called, getting up and following after Ash.

Sighing, Ash looked at Gage with exaggerated tiredness. "It's just a me thing." He turned back to his workshop, glancing over when Gage leaned against a table and crossed his arms over his chest. "There was a little thing called rationing going on before the war that kept people from actually enjoying their supposedly luxurious lives." Ash added, hunting down some scrap metal and pliers. "Nate- my father- he was real big on following the government's rules so as long as he was home, showers didn't last longer than five minutes."

"Huh. Sounds like a real hard-ass." Gage muttered, raising an eyebrow when Ash snorted.

"Yeah, no. You wanna know what I got if I broke the five-minute rule? A stern talking to about the economy." Ash said, glancing over to see the amused expression on Gage's face and smiling. "Yeah. Nate and Nora were big on boring me to death as a punishment." Sighing a bit, Ash shrugged, currently busy curling metal with the pliers. "Coulda been worse, I guess."

"I usually got extra chores lumped on me if I got in trouble." Gage said, leaning back a bit further so he could see what Ash was working on better. "Did kids even **have** chores before the war?"

Laughing, Ash shook his head. "I didn't. We had a robot that did all the cooking and cleaning and stuff for us so the only thing I ever had to worry about was my room."

"Sounds like a real confusin' time you lived in, boss." Gage said, watching Ash hold the curled bits of metal to each of the sections of all ten fingers before setting them aside and fishing some black gloves out of a box that was full of clothes.

"I guess it kinda was." Ash admitted, fitting some metal wiring on the outside of the gloves before running them through a sewing machine. He then began attaching the bits of curled metal to the wires, using a soldering iron to fuse the curled metal to itself around the wires. After some time with only the sound of the soldering iron, Gage spoke up again.

"How'd you learn to do all this shit, anyhow?"

Setting the iron aside, Ash shrugged. "I didn't. I just sort of get an idea and work it out with whatever I have on hand." He said, trying the gloves on and flexing his fingers in them. He took them off and started making adjustments to the metal and wires, starting with some small hinges where he'd bent the wire flexing. "I'm sure if there were any professionals left, they'd see all the shit I did wrong." Ash smiled a bit, snipping away at the wires and adding the hinges as he spoke. "I'm sure our guns aren't up to whatever code there might be for gun modifications."

"I mean, they don't explode when you shoot 'em and they kill people better than most guns I've handled, so I say fuck the code." Gage said, tilting his head a bit when Ash started cutting crystal and fitting the sharp bits he made into the metal cones at the tips of the gloves. He looked up to ask another question and caught the tail-end of a smile on Ash's face. It was nice being able to see Ash's face. "What the hell are you makin', anyway?"

Grinning, Ash slid one glove on and walked up to Gage. "I'm so glad you asked." He said, reaching out and catching Gage's jaw in his hand before Gage could escape. He dug his fingers in a little and Gage immediately felt the bite of the sharp crystal. Ash could tell Gage wanted to pull away from how tense he was but he held still, the sharpness of the crystal digging into his skin letting him know he'd be getting some cuts if he did move. "You like?" Ash asked quietly, moving Gage's face this way and that with his fairly lax grip on it.

"Not really." Gage muttered, trying not to move his jaw too much while he talked lest he get scratched.

Smirking, Ash pulled on Gage's jaw and the man came closer, frowning uncomfortably as he was manipulated into place so Ash could whisper in his ear. "I think you do." He whispered, releasing Gage and pointing one claw down at his crotch before going back to his station and carrying on with his tinkering.

Flushing as a certain part of his anatomy ratted him out, Gage crossed his arms again, having had uncrossed them to grip the edge of the table when Ash had come over. "Fuckin' traitor." He grumbled, glaring at Ash when he snorted.

"And I thought I was crazy for talking to corpses." He said, moving to the side and laughing when Gage reached over to swipe at him.

"You **are** crazy." Gage said, settling back into a comfortable leaning position to keep watching Ash despite his problem. "You aren't plannin' on usin' those for fightin', are you, boss?"

"No." Ash replied easily, slipping the glove back on to give it a few test flexes before taking it back off and carrying on. "It's mostly for the intimidation value." He grinned, glancing at Gage. "Plus grabbing people will be **way** more fun with them on." Gage shot him a glare and Ash snickered, turning his attention back to his work. "They'd also be good for- well, other stuff." He started, finishing in a mumble as he rethought sharing what he'd been about to blurt out.

"Other stuff?" Gage pressed, realizing what Ash meant as soon as he tore his eye from his hands and caught the way his eyes were almost glowing. "_Oh._"

"Yeah." Ash mumbled, setting his tools aside and trying both gloves on. He flexed his fingers, picked some stuff up, and dragged them against a table to see how the crystal would hold up before taking them back off. He removed the metal skeleton from the gloves, the stitches he'd made with the sewing machine coming out easily since he'd intentionally made them temporary. Ash spray-painted the metal black on both sides and then stepped back, looking content. "Once those dry, I can attach them for real and then I'll have some kickass claws to wear."

"It was neat seein' those come together." Gage said, smiling a bit at Ash. "Thanks for lettin' me watch, boss."

Going over to Gage, Ash put his hands on the older man's hips, keeping him from straightening up and moving away from the table like he'd been about to. "Can I blow you?"

Having been about to ask Ash what he was doing, Gage stood there with his mouth open for a bit before eventually closing it. "I-I guess so." He mumbled, surprised by Ash's forwardness. Gage supposed he should've been expecting forwardness considering Ash was a decidedly blunt person, but he hadn't expected him to just ask outright like that.

Frowning a bit, Ash pulled his hands away. "Gage, if you don't want it, just-"

"No, I want it." Gage said quickly, offering Ash a smile and taking his hands. "You just surprised me is all."

Nodding softly after scanning Gage's face for a bit, Ash got to work fixing the problem he'd caused earlier. By the time he was finished, his claws were done drying and Ash attached them to the gloves properly, leaving the workshop with Gage once they were done. The two men had dinner together and spent to rest of the evening enjoying eachother's presence while doing their own things. Gage reading and Ash doodling, both of them getting occasionally interrupted by Nubs demanding attention or playtime.

"Next settlement on the list is County Crossing." Shank informed the next morning, pencil at the ready even as he had an idea of who Ash would give the settlement to. He had a bit of a pattern going. Disciples, Pack, Operators, Disciples, Pack, Operators, Disciples-

"This one goes to the Pack." Ash said, not noticing the faint shadow of a pleased look on Shank's face as he wrote that down before giving Ash the coordinates.

"Have fun, boss." Shank said, closing his book and putting it away once Ash was set.

"Right." Ash muttered, relaying away with Gage. "He seem- almost chipper to you?" He asked once he and Gage came out of the relay. "Creepier than usual at least?"

"Little bit, yeah." Gage responded, gun already drawn despite the short trek they still needed to take to get to County Crossing. "Probably got laid last night or somethin'."

Frowning behind his mask, Ash glanced at Gage. "What's he like in bed? Is he creepy while you're fucking?"

Laughing softly, Gage nodded. "He, uh, he doesn't talk much during, but, uh, he does kinda _stare_." He admitted, laughing again when Ash shuddered.

"Of course he does. I bet he doesn't emote either." Ash ventured, drawing his gun as they neared County Crossing.

"Nope. Doesn't make much noise at all, actually." Gage said, checking to make sure he had a full clip of ammo even though he'd checked it before leaving Sanctum. "It was honestly always more uncomfortable than not if I couldn't convince him on doggy-style."

"Wow." Ash mumbled, cocking his gun as the came upon the settlers tending their crops. One of them started to stand and Ash leveled his gun on them. "I'd stay down if I were you." He said, nodding a bit when the settler listened, the two of them passing a nervous look between them. "Have you heard of the raider boss that's been enslaving settlements?"

"Sure we have, but-"

Raising his free hand, Ash cut the settler off. "Good, I get tired of the speech. You wanna let me collar you or you wanna get shot in the leg and then let me collar you?" The settlers exchanged another look before they both put their hands up in surrender. "Smart." Ash quipped, collaring the one nearest him and watching Gage do the rest. Once the settlers were collared and back to working, Ash looked at Gage. "So why were you even taking it from Shank when you had Colter?" He asked, linking up with the workshop and summoning his synths to get started on building a shack for the Pack.

"Nothin' builds trust like puttin' out for someone and Shank is a sneaky fuckin' bastard." Gage said, shrugging and watching as the synths appeared, only needing to be told where to put the Pack's house and otherwise already knowing what Ash wanted them to be doing. "It was a good way to keep an eye on him in the early days of the operation and it just sorta kept goin' on even after I decided he wasn't a threat to what I was tryin' to accomplish."

"Huh." Ash huffed, nodding a bit. "Yeah, that makes sense. He at least any good in bed?"

"Meh." Gage said, shrugging. "Not all that attentive, honestly. Kinda soft for my taste too."

"Bet that wasn't a problem with Colter." Ash said, watching his synths set up the area he and Gage would be relaxing in for the majority of their stay in the settlement. "He didn't seem like the soft type."

"He wasn't." Gage confirmed, shaking his head a bit but smiling. "It was more like a fight than sex with him. We'd wrestle for top and there was almost always blood." Pursing his lips, Gage scowled a bit. "He also wasn't real attentive. Guess it's a raider thing."

"You're attentive." Ash slipped, flushing under his mask when Gage looked at him in surprise.

"Am I?" Gage asked, grinning in amusement. He remembered that night on the roof too, but the fine details were blurry. He knew he topped, he remembered there being alot of sound, he remembered enjoying himself, everything else was hazy at best.

"Yeah." Ash muttered, walking over to the covered area the synths had just finished putting together. He picked a chair and plopped down, not looking at Gage. Before the older man could say anything, Ash decided to change the subject. "Did you love Colter?" He asked, looking at Gage and catching the surprised look on his face as he sat down.

"Time was I thought I did." Gage said after a bit, settling into his chair. "In the beginnin'. 'Fore he got all lazy." He said, looking over at Ash. "He was real driven in the beginnin', real ambitious. I liked that. Then he got a little bit of what he always said he wanted and that was suddenly enough." Gage looked away again, shaking his head. "Things went downhill fast after that. I didn't feel anythin' but relief when you took him out in the arena."

When Ash hummed but didn't say anything, Gage looked over again and found Ash staring at the canopy shading them. "Why you so curious about all this all of a sudden, boss? Feelin' jealous?"

Shaking his head, Ash looked over at Gage. "I just like it when you tell me about how much better I am than Colter was."

Snorting, Gage shook his head. "And here I thought you didn't like gettin' your ego stroked."

"Depends on who's stroking it." Ash said, smiling a little. "And how. I'm picky."

"Clearly." Gage muttered, rolling his head to the side and smiling lazily at Ash. Even though he couldn't really see it, Gage could tell he was smiling back.

After a week of work, the settlement was set but the Pack hadn't arrived yet so Ash set up a team of synths to watch over the settlers before they arrived. The next settlement to take was the Finch Farm and Ash assigned it to the Operators before taking it. It went down much the same as the others had. Ash only needed to shoot the man who appeared to be the leader of the settlement and they all fell into submission. The Finch Farm also took a week to make livable and by then, Ash simply reassigned the team that had been looking over County Crossing to look over the Finch Farm.

There was a slight hiccup at Nuka-World when Ash and Gage returned from the Finch Farm and Shank informed Ash that the next settlement up for the taking was the Slog.

"The Slog is under my protection and won't be going to one of the gangs." Ash informed calmly, ignoring the surprised look Shank gave him. "What's next?"

Blinking a few times, Shank took a moment to realize Ash wasn't going to even give him the chance to argue or ask any questions and looked back down at his book. Shank was many things, but he wasn't an idiot, and he knew when to just shut up and obey. "That'd be Somerville Place." He informed, putting the coordinates in for Ash when he put his arm out.

"Disciples." Ash said, relaying away with Gage right after.

"Well, that's one way to tell Shank to mind his own business." Gage said, a bit of laughter in his voice. "I think you put 'im into shock."

"It's not that I don't want him to know why the Slog is off-limits, it's that I don't want to tell him." Ash explained, starting the trek to Somerville Place. "Or I guess technically I'm not in the mood to answer any questions."

"Hey, I'm not criticizin', it was funny as hell watchin' him flounder like that." Gage said, following Ash.

"**That** was Shank floundering? He barely missed a beat." Ash said, frowning back at Gage.

"Yeah, that's Shank for flounderin'." Gage replied, shrugging. "You should see him panic. Calmest panickin' you'll ever see in your life, I guarantee."

"I don't know if I wanna stab him or take notes from him." Ash grumbled, annoyed at being a veritable open book compared to Shank even with his hat and mask combo. Gage found his misery amusing but hearing the older man laugh made Ash smile a little and feel somewhat better. Then they reached the outskirts of Somerville Place and Ash's stomach sank. Were those- kids. Those were kids. He- could Ash collar a child? It seemed- excessive. Even with how much Ash generally hated children, it seemed cruel to slap a shock collar on one.

When the father noticed Ash and Gage, he ushered his kids inside and walked up to the duo. "You're Overboss Ash, aren't you?" He asked quietly, looking incredibly nervous.

"I am." Ash replied, pistol at the ready.

"I- you won't get a fight from me, but-but could I- that is, could I ask you for a favor?" The father stammered, shifting nervously as Gage walked up beside him and expertly snapped a shock collar around his neck.

"You may." Ash said, curious to know what could be so important that it would warrant this level of boldness.

"Please don't collar the kids." The man practically whispered, glancing at the house. "They're good kids, I swear, and-and they'll be good. If-if they aren't, I'll take full responsibility, just-just please."

Even though he tried, Ash couldn't keep his eyes from getting brighter as the man pleaded with him. "I already have everything that belonged to you and I also own you. You have nothing to give me in exchange for this favor." He replied coldly, one part of him wanting to just accept the man's request since he didn't even want to collar his kids, but the darker side of himself winning the decision to have a little sadistic fun first. Not wanting to slap shock collars on some children didn't make him a good person, after all, he was still loving the fear in the man's eyes and the desperation on his face.

"Please, I-I know I don't really have anything, but-but they're just kids." The man practically whimpered, glancing at Gage as people often did before turning his eyes back to Ash.

Stepping forward, Ash caught the man's face in his free hand, putting his new claws to good use in keeping his face still and dragging a whimper from the man. "I'm right here, not over there." He growled quietly, feeling the man swallow from the grip under his chin.

"I-I'm sorry." The man whispered, flinching and whimpering again when Ash dug his claws in a little.

"You're sorry what?" Ash prompted, eyes practically glowing.

"O-Overboss." The man stuttered, keeping his eyes firmly on Ash. "I'm sorry, Overboss."

After a moment, Ash let the man go and watched in amusement as he fell to his knees. "Alright." He said calmly, putting his gun away. "I won't collar your kids. But if they don't behave themselves, you **will** regret it."

"I-I understand. Thank you, Overboss." The man said hurriedly, practically on the verge of tears.

Humming softly in acknowledgment, Ash left Gage to relieve the man of his belongings while he linked up with the workshop. Once Gage was done with the father, his kids ran out to him and Ash glanced over in time to see them hugging him. Rolling his eyes, Ash sent out the order for his synths and began taking note of what needed to be done. They'd need another house on the property, security of course, plus the main house needed roof repairs. Once the synths arrived, Ash informed them of as much and then went to relax with Gage once they were set with their tasks.

"Bet you been dyin' to use those things." Gage said once Ash was comfortable, smiling wryly. "Finally found an excuse to grab someone."

Smiling a bit, Ash shrugged lightly. "I really do hate it when people look at you like you're gonna save them."

"I mean, I'm sort of the only person who _could_ once they got your attention. Maybe they sense it." Gage suggested, shrugging when Ash raised an eyebrow at him. "Like a survival instinct."

"Huh. Maybe." Ash said, shaking his head a bit. "Guess it wouldn't be the weirdest thing I've heard since thawing out."

"What _is_ the weirdest thing you've heard since thawin' out?" Gage asked, watching as Ash took a bottle of alcohol from his bag and poured them both a glass.

"Probably that cosmetic surgery is still a thing." Ash said after a bit of thought, adding some Nuka-Cola to his own drink before taking a sip. "I mean, I can't even imagine all the health hazards of getting surgery done in this kind of world, so cosmetic surgery seems like such a huge, unnecessary risk."

"Thought for sure you'd say ferals." Gage hummed, seeming slightly disappointed.

"We had these things called zombies when I'm from. They weren't real, but they were pretty popular, and they were similar enough to ferals that I wasn't that bothered when I saw my first one. Actually, I thought the first feral I ever saw was cool." Ash said, smiling when Gage snorted.

"Bet you don't think that anymore."

"Yeah, no." Ash replied, watching idly as the family they'd just enslaved tended their land like nothing was different. "Now I think they're a pain in the ass." Then he smiled and looked at Gage. "Sometimes literally."

Rolling his eye, Gage shook his head. "You ever actually been bit by a feral, boss?" He asked, looking at Ash seriously. When Ash shook his head, Gage scoffed. "Remind me to show you what a feral bite looks like next time we're alone."

"Why can't you show me now?" Ash asked, raising an eyebrow.

"It's in a delicate place."

"Your ass?" Ash asked excitedly, perking up. "Did you for real get bit on the ass by a feral?"

"No!" Gage said, shaking his head when Ash deflated in disappointment. "Ferals go for limbs and the neck, not for somethin' as hard to bite as an ass. I got bit in the thigh." He suddenly frowned, looking slightly annoyed. "I've watched you fight ferals before, you never noticed where they were lungin'?"

"I was too busy shooting them to study them." Ash said with a frown. "They've never gotten close enough to lunge at me let alone bite me."

Snorting, Gage looked away. "Yeah, well, not all of us have the depth perception to be casually snipin' ferals." He grumbled, frowning at Ash when he started laughing. "That's rude, boss."

Calming down quickly, Ash pointed at Gage's face. "How'd you lose your eye, anyway?"

Humming softly, Gage leaned back in his chair. "It happened with the first raider gang I ever joined." He glanced over and saw Ash getting comfy, looking ready for the story. "So, I was sixteen. A decent sized gang took me in. It was alright, but they weren't usin' their muscle the best they could. Me bein' new, I didn't know enough to keep my suggestions about how to improve things to myself." Gage said, smiling a bit at the memory of his naive younger self.

"Eventually the boss, Connor, came to me. At first I thought he was pissed, but he wasn't, he actually listened to me and took my advice." Gage sighed then, frowning a bit. "So there I was, this teenage punk who had the ear of the boss. He used to always come to me, askin' what I thought of his plans, tellin' me how much he trusted me." Looking over, Gage saw that Ash was watching him closely as he spoke. "Can't lie, it _all_ went to my head."

"After like a year of workin' together, we came up with this plan to make peace with a rival gang. I was more than happy to do all the talkin', of course." Gage sighed again, looking away and shaking his head. "The motherfucker set me up. About an hour into the talk, I started hearin' gunfire and explosions. He used me as a diversion, somethin' to keep the other gang's attention while him and his men ambushed 'em" He said, still sounding quite bitter about the whole affair.

"Guess he figured he'd pumped me for all the information I was good for, thought if he kept me around much longer, I'd be a threat to his position. So, now he gets all the rival gang's stuff, and I happen to die in the crossfire. Perfect day for him." Gage looked at Ash again, not looking anywhere near as bitter as he sounded. "I lost my eye gettin' out of there. Can't really remember how it happened, or how I even managed to get out alive." He frowned a bit as he thought about it. "It's all a blur when I try to remember it, I just know I was real fucked up by the time I got out." Gage shrugged, taking his last swallow of booze. "So that's it. That's how I lost my eye."

"But what happened with Connor?" Ash asked, frowning at Gage. "You can't leave it at that!"

Laughing a bit, Gage looked a little surprised but shrugged. "Well, I realized I couldn't go back, the **one** guy I thought I could trust just tried to get me killed. Thought about goin' in shootin', but that was just anger talkin'. I knew how that would end realistically, so I moved on. Promised myself I was never gonna be that stupid again, was never gonna trust anyone more than I had to for 'em to be useful to me." He hummed lightly, setting his cup down. "Been livin' like that since. Well, 'til I met you, of course." He added, smiling over at Ash. "I trust you."

Smiling lightly, Ash reached over the small table that sat between their chairs and took Gage's hand. "Even after everything I've put you through?"

"Yeah." Gage muttered, leaning down to kiss Ash's knuckles. "Guess that's just what bein' in love does to ya. Even though you drive me crazy, there ain't nobody I'd rather have with me and there ain't a soul on this planet I trust more than you."

Smiling more, Ash let Gage's hand go and busied himself with pouring them both another drink so he could resist the urge to climb into the other man's chair with him. Had to keep up appearances around the settlers, after all. It was fine and dandy to be touchy when they were alone, not that they'd actually gotten to touchy, but definitely not around the settlers.

Chatting was okay though and that's exactly what Ash and Gage continued to do while the synths and settlers worked.

* * *

So I looked at Gage's third affinity dialogue and decided it didn't fit with how he and Ash had pretty much already skipped ahead to the romance option, as it were. I still wanted to use it though, so I took it, ran it through a paper shredder, shuffled the shreds, threw them in a hat, picked them out one at a time, and glued them back together in a way that I think worked out nicely. There were casualties, his actual dialogue is long as shit, but I think this works better.


	24. The Commonwealth Part 4

Chapter Specific Characters: Beth (Somerville kid), Porter Gage, Nubs, Pickman, Shank, H1-87, Roger Warwick

Chapter Specific Tags/Warnings: Brief mention of underage sex, cuts and bruises as a result of implied rough sex, minor relationship drama, mentioned daddy kink, Gage is jealous, Ash is a thot, Pickman is creepy and knows it, some sappy romantic nonsense

* * *

It was a week into the repairs of Somerville Place and Ash had just returned from Sanctum, fresh and clean from a shower break. With him there, Gage took the opportunity to relay to Sanctum to take his own shower, the device on his wrist easy to recalibrate so that he could return once he was done. Normally Gage just waited until they were done with a settlement to shower and such, but Ash suspected he was getting spoiled.

Just as Ash had settled down, a smile on his face at the thought of Gage being spoiled, one of the children who lived on the property approached him. At first Ash was too stuck in his head to notice, but then the child tugged on the sleeve of his shirt and Ash looked down at her in surprise and then annoyance. "Can I help you, small child?" He asked, glaring down at the kid. Her name was Beth if he recalled correctly from all the times he'd heard the father shout it, but he didn't care enough to call her by it.

"I'm not that small." She argued, frowning at Ash.

"I stand by my question." Ash replied, getting comfortable in his chair even as he continued to glare at the kid.

Huffing, Beth pouted at Ash a bit longer before walking around his chair and sitting in Gage's. "How come you made my dad wear that weird blinky collar?" She asked, oblivious to the incredulous look Ash was giving her.

Frowning deeply, Ash stared at the kid while he thought about what to say. Well, there really wasn't any reason to lie to her. She was old enough to be a brat, she was old enough to know how the world worked. "It's a shock collar. I'm making him wear it because it ensures that he behaves."

Pondering that for a bit, Beth nodded slowly. "What if he promised to behave? Would he still have to wear it?" She asked, swaying her legs from where they hung over the chair.

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because your father's promises mean nothing to me." Ash replied, a bit of a sigh in his voice. Why was he bothering? Why not just tell the kid to fuck off? "I have no reason to trust your father would keep his word, so the collar is necessary."

"Oh." Beth muttered, pondering again before speaking up. "How come me and Jackson don't have to wear one?"

Grinning darkly behind his mask, Ash looked away from the kid. "Because your father asked me very nicely to not put collars on either of you."

Humming softly, Beth tilted her head. "Could you please take my dad's collar off?" She asked, smiling sweetly at Ash. "Pretty, pretty please?"

Snorting, Ash shook his head. "Get lost, kid." He muttered, watching as she pouted for a bit before sighing dramatically and leaving. Fucking kids. The absolute gall. Shaking his head again, Ash got out a smoke and his sketchbook, deciding to do some doodling until Gage returned.

A week later and Somerville Place was officially Ash approved. The Disciples that were to hold the property actually arrived before Ash left so he didn't end up needing to assign a synth team. Ash and Gage appeared in front of Shank shortly after the property was officially approved and Ash got their new destination. When he relayed with Gage, however, they wound up in Sanctum.

"I was thinking we could take a breather here since it's not like the Pack'll make it to Nordhagen anytime soon." Ash explained, already dropping his pack and peeling his clothes off.

"Sounds good, boss." Gage replied, watching Ash for a moment before shaking his head and heading for the stairs. "Have I ever mentioned ya got absolutely no modesty?"

"What's to hide?" Ash called, balancing on one leg and then the other while he unzipped his boots. "You still need to show me that feral bite!" Gage waved over his shoulder in acknowledgment and Ash smiled to himself, leaving the bulk of his clothes by the elevator and heading up the stairs to his room in his underwear.

It was an hour or so later when Gage decided Ash was probably settled enough to receive company. Walking up to Ash's room, Gage pressed the button to open the door and frowned when nothing happened. Locked? A sudden pressure against his shins made Gage look down and he smiled a bit at Nubs rubbing herself against him. "You too, huh?" He asked, crouching to pet her. "You know what he's doin' in there?" Nubs just purred, happy to be given some attention after being rudely rejected by Ash's closed door.

When the door opened, Gage quickly straightened up, opening his mouth to say something. The words got caught in his throat however and he took a step back when someone who was decidedly not Ash stepped out of the room. Pickman was fully dressed in the usual grey Institute clothes and was currently in the process of tying his long hair back when he noticed Gage.

Smiling a smile that didn't reach his eyes, Pickman snapped his ponytail holder into place, tilting his head a bit. "Hello, Mr. Gage." He greeted, his tone as pleasant as ever. "I must say it's a delight to finally meet you."

Frowning deeply, Gage narrowed his eye at Pickman. "And who are you?" He asked, his tone suspicious.

"Ah, of course, where are my manners?" Pickman said, smile widening just a bit but still not quite reaching his eyes. "My name is Pickman. Ash has mentioned you to me numerous times but I see he's failed to mention me to you." He hummed lightly, looking down at Nubs as she brushed against his shins and finally smiling a genuine smile. "How strange."

"Yeah, real strange." Gage muttered, not liking the vibe he was getting from Pickman. It was like Shank's vibe if Shank was actually dangerous and not just really creepy. When Pickman crouched to give Nubs some attention, Gage noticed the device on his wrist and his hand went to his own device briefly. "How do you know the Overboss, anyhow?" He asked, the gears in his head working and cranking out a dozen answers he didn't like.

"The Overboss?" Pickman asked, looking up at Gage with a look of amusement that didn't sit right with Gage. "How cute. Ash and I found eachother through a mutual love of art." He informed, straightening up and looking at Gage with his usual falsely pleasant smile. "Artists have a way of finding eachother, you know." Pickman's eyes lit up suddenly and he took a step closer to Gage, his lips quirking further upwards briefly when Gage took a step back. "Are you an artist as well, Mr. Gage?" He asked quietly, something about his tone making Gage's skin crawl.

"No." Gage said simply, his voice steady and calm despite how bad his instincts were screaming at him to stab Pickman.

Looking disappointed very briefly, Pickman's expression quickly schooled itself back into its usual smile. "That's a shame." He hummed, stepping away from Ash's door. "I do believe I've taken up enough of your time. It really was a pleasure meeting you," Pickman said, walking past the raider. "Gage." He added in a decidedly creepy breath as he passed.

Watching Pickman like a hawk, Gage waited until the "artist" left before allowing himself to shudder. Ash could handle **him** but thought Shank was creepy? _Ash_. Frowning more, Gage walked into Ash's room now that the door was open and found the teen standing on his balcony, smoking. Clearing his throat, Gage watched Ash turn around and his eye widened in shock.

Since he wasn't wearing a shirt, Gage could see some of the damage on Ash's body. His chest and stomach were littered with thin cuts, there were two bloody bitemarks on Ash's side and collarbone, and finally his wrists, neck, and what Gage could see of his hips peaking out of his waistband had the beginnings of hand-shaped bruises forming on them.

As if nothing were out of the ordinary, Ash smiled slightly at Gage and it drew the older man's attention to his split lip, as though it had been bitten through. "Hey, Gage." He greeted, walking over with a noticeable limp. Ash tapped the ashes of his cigarette into the tray on the table Gage was standing beside and looked up at the older man. "Did you need something?"

It wasn't uncommon for Ash to leave for Sanctum in between building for a settlement. He liked to say that a week was his no-shower limit so if a settlement took longer than that, he often left at regular weekly intervals to shower and get his clothes cleaned. Sometimes when he came back, he came back with a noticeable limp and a certain air to him that Gage had always noticed but never commented on. Suddenly all those times made sense and Gage frowned at Ash, trying not to look as concerned as he felt. It still must've shown on his face though, because Ash looked down at himself and smiled sheepishly.

"Sorry, I wasn't expecting you so soon." He muttered, maneuvering a long-sleeve shirt on around his cigarette and not looking at Gage as he pretended to be interested in literally anything else. "Anyway, I heard you trying to get in while we were finishing up, so what'd you need?" Ash asked, finally looking at Gage but only until Nubs provided him with a reason to look away again. _Fuck_ this was awkward. He'd never intended for Pickman and Gage to meet. It wasn't as though he and Gage were really dating or anything, l-words be damned, but it still felt severely awkward, like he'd been caught cheating or something.

Currently a tad preoccupied having what could be considered a bit of a crisis, Gage had to shake his head softly to get his thoughts to clear up. Why was he was so fucking jealous? It's not like he and Ash were _exclusive_ or anything like that. "I came to show you my feral bite." Gage muttered, eye getting caught by the bruises around Ash's neck before he looked away, mentally kicking himself for feeling protective on top of being so fucking jealous.

"Oh, yeah." Ash said halfheartedly, sitting down on the couch and continuing to pet Nubs when she hopped onto his lap.

Clearing his throat softly, Gage glanced behind himself and closed the door to Ash's room, flicking the little switch that locked it as an afterthought. Pulling one side of his pants down, Gage turned a bit and showed Ash the back of his thigh where there was a noticeable chunk missing.

"Fuck." Ash muttered, moving Nubs onto the couch so he could scoot forward and get a closer look. "It did that through your pants?"

"Yup." Gage muttered, glancing over as Ash touched the old scar. "Bite woulda been much worse if I wouldn'ta been wearin' pants."

"Wow." Ash breathed, leaning over the arm of the couch to get even closer. "I never realized they were so strong. They look so frail since they're all skin and bones."

"Yeah, well, never underestimate somethin' that's hungry, I guess." Gage said, pulling his pants back up when Ash removed his hand.

"Yeah." Ash agreed softly, pausing for a moment before sitting up on his knees and looking at Gage's face. "I'm sorry." He said, looking down again. "I can tell _this_ is bothering you." He continued, motioning to his neck and chest.

Sighing, Gage rubbed the back of his neck. "Dunno why. Ain't like we're married or some shit." He muttered, more annoyed at himself than anything.

"Yeah, that's kinda what I figured." Ash muttered, sitting back on his ankles. There was some awkward silence between them before Ash spoke again. "Do you want me to break it off with Pickman?" He asked softly, looking up at Gage.

Frowning, Gage considered that for a moment. "No, I-" He cut off, frowning more and sighing angrily. "I don't know why I care so damn much."

Taking Gage's hand, Ash led him around the couch and pulled him to sit down beside him. "I think that's just what being in love does to people." He offered, shrugging a bit. "It makes them care." He would know, after all, wouldn't he? Not that long ago he would've told Gage where he could stick his jealousy and now he was genuinely concerned about how the older man was feeling.

"Guess that makes sense." Gage muttered, still sounding annoyed. "Y'know, he talked t'me in the hall a little and I dunno how you take it." He suddenly blurted out, looking at Ash. "You're always goin' on about how creepy Shank is, but that Pickman fella's got Shank beat in that department by a long-shot."

Smiling, Ash nodded and looked away. "He's, uh, he's an acquired taste, I guess." He muttered, frowning and looking up in order to poke Gage in the chest. "Same goes for you, though. You fuck around with Shank but you can't even handle _talking_ with Pickman?"

Gage opened his mouth to respond, and then promptly closed it, frowning. "Damn. Good point." He muttered, deflating a bit.

There was more silence that Ash was the one to break again. "You know, whenever you wanna fuck, you just gotta say so." He said quietly, reaching out and taking Gage's hand again. "I didn't wanna be the one to make the first move cuz I didn't think you were comfortable with it. You seemed like you really regretted it the morning after the first time."

"That's cuz we were drunk." Gage clarified, looking at Ash. "That was a bad decision on both of our parts that coulda come around to bite us both in the ass."

"So I'm not too young for you?" Ash asked, having been certain for awhile that that was the root of Gage's hang-ups. Ash wasn't really sure what the taboos for age gaps in a relationship were in this world, he just knew his and Gage's relationship would be considered very taboo in the world he came from, even though he was of age even by old-world standards, because Gage was still probably twice his age. Ash had always had it bad for older men, though. His first time had been at fourteen with a man in his forties so he'd always had a skewed view of age-gaps in relationships. Not that that had been a relationship, it'd been a one-time thing on a camping trip, but still.

"Well-" Gage made a sound in his throat and pulled a face as he considered his words. "Maybe a little." He admitted, squeezing Ash's hand lightly. "Ya got alotta things wrong with you that I feel like's cuz you're a teenager, but you're still the smartest, most driven person I ever met." Gage said, frowning and running his free thumb lightly over Ash's busted lip. "Sometimes I get these feelin's like I oughta be protectin' you even though I know you can handle yourself for most things. I don't think I'd feel that if you were older."

"I never did like being coddled." Ash mumbled, licking his lip absently when Gage removed his finger. "But I guess it is sort of nice having someone around who looks out for me."

"Yeah?" Gage asked, smiling a little and coaxing a smile out of Ash.

"Yeah." There was a bit of silence and Ash sighed, slumping against the couch. "Boy, this sure opened the fuckin' floodgates, didn't it?" He muttered, running a hand through his hair.

Laughing, Gage also slumped. "Sure did." He agreed, pausing for a bit before looking over at Ash. "You wanna make this thing between us official or give it more time?"

"Never was real big on official, but I guess I could make an exception for you." Ash replied, smiling at Gage. "Does that mean I can't fuck Pickman anymore?"

Pondering that briefly, Gage looked to Ash's neck again and frowned. "You like what he does to you? The cuts n' bruises n' shit?"

"Yeah." Ash admitted, looking away in embarrassment.

"I don't think I could do that." Gage admitted, giving Ash's hand a light squeeze. "So maybe we keep a person each to indulge that shit we can't give eachother?"

Frowning, Ash looked at Gage. "What can't I give you?" He asked incredulously, not even sure what kind of shit Gage was into since they'd never really discussed it.

"I, uh-" Gage swallowed and looked away. "I like to be called "daddy" sometimes." He admitted, feeling Ash cringe and laughing a bit. "Yeah."

"Yeah." Ash mumbled, scrunching his nose in disgust at the idea. "Deal."

"Exclusive besides that?" Gage asked, looking at Ash again.

"Sounds good." Ash said, smiling lightly at Gage. "That makes you my very first boyfriend."

"Two-hundred years old and you ain't never had a boyfriend?" Gage asked jokingly, laughing when Ash let go of his hand in order to shove him.

"Cute. Being gay wasn't exactly something you made public when I came from." Ash informed, having never told anyone but his therapist and the few older men he'd had sex with that he liked men before the war. It wasn't that he'd thought Nate and Nora would disown him since they'd both been surprisingly open-minded people given the time they'd lived in, Nate himself had had a few friends that Ash knew for sure were gay, the one he'd given his virginity to being one of them, but he just hadn't ever thought it was any of their business what kind of person he found attractive.

"Oh." Gage muttered, frowning a bit. "Sorry."

Shaking his head, Ash offered Gage a soft smile. "It's not a big deal. I didn't have to live very long in that world, after all." He said, taking Nubs back when she jumped up onto his lap again. "I'm gonna get to live the bulk of my life in this world where people are a little more chill."

"Awfully optimistic way of lookin' at it for **you**, boss." Gage said, sounding and looking surprised.

Shrugging, Ash petted Nubs idly. "I like to think of it as practical."

Snorting, Gage shook his head and looked away. "'Course you do."

Ash and Gage got dressed and left shortly after that and two weeks later, Nordhagen Beach was fully furnished and Ash approved. The family living there had only given Ash and Gage a minimal amount of trouble, Ash hadn't even needed to shoot anyone. Their accommodations when they'd arrived consisted of little more than a shack that was definitely too small for the four beds crammed into it, so the bulk of the two weeks had been spent getting a solid foundation built into the soft sand of the beach for the two shacks that needed to be built.

The Pack had always been the slowest of the gangs to arrive where they needed to be with the Operators being the fastest so, even though it'd been two weeks, Ash had to leave a team behind to watch the property when he and Gage returned to Shank. The next and final occupied settlement to take was the Warwick Homestead and, unfortunately for them, Ash happened to be in a good mood that day.

As Ash and Gage came onto the property, guns drawn, one of the older men came over, wearing a smile despite the guns. "Don't think I've seen you around here before. You new to these parts?" He greeted, flashing both Ash and Gage his smile individually before settling on Ash.

Feeling indulgent due to his good mood, Ash gave a nod. "Sure are."

"In that case, welcome. We're always happy to have guests here at Warwick Homestead." The man said, just oozing a friendly aura.

"I'm not a guest." Ash said, leveling his pistol at the man's knee. "I'm actually here for you, your family, your land, and everything on it. But, since you've been so welcoming, I'll give you a minute to think over whether you're going to get down and let me put this lovely shock collar around your neck," He said, pausing to get the shock collar from Gage and show it to the man. "or if you're gonna fight me and make me put a bullet in your leg." Ash finished, smiling. "One minute, starting now."

Eyes widening, the man's smile faltered. "Look," He started quietly, leaning a little closer. "you're the new Director, aren't you?"

Blinking in surprise, Ash lowered his gun a little, tilting his head slightly. "I was the new Director a long time ago." He said, eyeing the man curiously. "I go by Overboss now."

"I heard." The man said, lowering his voice even further. "I'm trying to tell you I'm a synth. I replaced the old Roger Warwick awhile ago. This land is being used for Institute research."

After looking at the man for a bit longer, Ash raised his Pip-Boy and put in a quick command. A second later H1-87 appeared beside Ash and before they could offer their usual greeting, Ash motioned at the man before him. "This guy says he's a synth and this farm is being used for Institute research."

"That would be correct." H1-87 responded, not caring even close to as much as the synth in question did about Ash's loudness.

"What kind of research?" Ash asked, curious now. He hadn't started any new kinds of research since he took over because he wasn't interested in science and progress the way the old Institute had been, but he also hadn't canceled any of the projects that had been going on when he took over.

"Botany. The BioScience division had been working on creating better-tasting, more nutritious plants by letting the ones they already grew get radiated on the surface for a time."

"Huh. Neat." Ash said, nodding a bit. "What's his recall code?"

"What?" The synth asked, sounding panicked. "No, wait, that's not-"

"W2-48 initialize factory reset, authorization theta zero one alpha." H1-87 rattled off easily, the synth before them going limp once the final word left their mouth.

"Alright. Go get this one wiped and reassigned to resource gathering." Ash said, glancing up at the other people on the property who were lingering about now that things had gotten unusual.

"Right away. Would you like me to do anything with the research being conducted here?" H1-87 asked, moving to stand beside the soon-to-be-wiped synth.

"Nah, whoever's running it now can keep it up." Ash said, watching H1-87 relay away with the synth before turning his attention fully to the rest of the people on the property. "Hey. I neither know nor care who that man was supposed to be to you, but he was a synth and belongs to me. The rest of you belong to me now, too." At that, Ash raised his gun, tilting his head a bit. "Unless any of you want to fight me, of course."

Chuckling softly, Gage also raised his weapon. He liked it when Ash was in a good mood. It could get weird if it was **too** good, but this was the perfect kind of good. Real cold and ruthless and ready to shoot a bitch.

One man, the two women, and the one kid all surrendered, but one man was still standing stubbornly. "I'm aware my tone might've been a tad misleading, but the whole surrendering thing wasn't actually optional." Ash informed, gun trained on the defiant man while Gage watched the rest of the settlers.

"I ain't kn-" Before the man could get more out, Ash shot him in the knee and he fell with a cry of pain.

Walking over, Ash leveled his gun at the downed man's head. "You ain't what, farm boy?" He asked coldly, reveling at the look of fear the man shot him from his spot on the ground.

"N-nothin', I-I surrender." He choked, grunting when Ash snapped his shock collar on him.

"That's what I thought." Ash said quietly, moving to walk away from the man and quickly looking back when another gunshot rang out. The man was now cradling his bleeding hand and Gage's gun was smoking.

"He went for his gun." Gage said coldly, watching the man closely.

Snorting, Ash shook his head. "Thanks, love." He said lightly, heading to the workshop and linking up with it while Gage dealt with the settlers. There were some large vats of something that smelled terribly fowl on the property that would need to go to make room for anything. That would take alot of work. They'd need to be drained and then torn down and then they'd need to see if the dirt was even fit for being built on or if they'd need to put in foundations like with Nordhagen.

The synths appeared while Ash was pondering how to go about safely and cleanly draining the vats so he put them up to doing everything else first. By the time his and Gage's lounging spot was finished, Ash had come up with something he hoped would work. Getting a team together, Ash led the synths to the parts of the vats closest to the water all around the property. He had them dig trenches in the sand leading to the water and then carefully puncture the bottoms of the vats.

The idea to slowly channel the fowl water into the ocean worked well for all but one particularly dilapidated vat which burst a bigger hole than expected upon being punctured. Luckily it was only a synth that got washed by the wave of fowl water and they were promptly sent off for cleaning. Once the vats were drained and torn down, the land underneath was found unsuitable for much more than a safety hazard so Ash had his synths build a foundation for the two shacks that would go there.

All in all, the claiming of the Warwick Homestead took four weeks. The Operators arrived in half that time despite the distance they needed to travel so once everything was finished, Ash and Gage left. This time they stopped by Sanctum before Shank to clean the smell of Warwick off themselves. Even for Gage, the smell was a bit much. Ash felt a little bad that a gang had to live there at all, but he hoped the smell would get better now that the huge vats weren't there, perfuming the air with funk.

"Well, that does it, boss." Shank said, flipping through his book and making some notes while he spoke. "Every last occupied settlement in the Commonwealth now belongs to the big, bad Overboss of Nuka-World and his gangs."

"Time to get started on the unoccupied settlements." Ash said, getting a raised eyebrow from Shank and raising his eyebrow right back at him.

"Just like that, huh? Not even gonna take a day off to celebrate?" Shank asked, sounding somewhat impressed.

"Not really a stop and celebrate kind of guy when there's still work to be done." Ash replied, shrugging.

Chuckling, Shank looked back down at his book. "Damn, no wonder Gage likes you so much."

Ash looked back in time to see the glare Gage was trying to kill Shank with and it made him laugh. "Careful, Shank, if the boss's man wants someone stabbed for whatever reason, the boss might very well be inclined to indulge him." The look that earned Ash from Shank was something he would treasure for a long time yet. Wide-eyed surprise mixed with just the tiniest bit of fear. It was the first time he'd admitted there was something between Gage and himself. Ash imagined Nuka-World was going to erupt into chaos once he and Gage were gone assuming that betting pool Dixie had mentioned was actually a thing.

"Right. Noted, boss." Shank said, getting his expression under control before flipping a few more pages in his book. "We going for closest to furthest again?"

"Actually, I was thinking of starting with a settlement called Sanctuary Hills." Ash said, watching as Shank frowned a bit.

"About Sanctuary Hills, that place is armed to the teeth, and-"

"I know." Ash cut off, tone neutral. "It used to be my home."

A look of understanding dawned very briefly on Shank's face before he nodded and got his pencil ready. "Well, that makes a whole lotta sense. Alright, who you gonna give it to?"

"The Disciples." Ash replied, pausing as he pondered something. "Make it a two-for-one with the Red Rocket down the road. If the other gangs come by with complaints, feel free to let them know that I personally decorated Sanctuary. The smell tends to carry."

"Right." Shank laughed a bit, giving a nod. "Should calm 'em right down, boss."

Turning to Gage, Ash held his hand out. "Ready to see where I lived before I moved to Sanctum?"

Looking unsure, Gage grabbed his hand. "Not really. I seen how you decorate."

Smiling, Ash triggered the relay, he and Gage finding themselves on the bridge to Sanctuary. Ash quickly adjusted the defenses that were still running so they wouldn't recognize Gage as a threat and then led the way to his old house, the only house without a rotting corpse in it. "So, this is Sanctuary. That one over there is the house I lived in before the war and this one was mine." Ash informed, walking into the house as he fiddled with his Pip-Boy.

"I see what you meant about the smell." Gage muttered, the stink almost as bad as the smell within Fizztop Mountain. It was only the fact that Sanctuary was open that kept it from being worse.

Slipping his mask off, Ash offered it to Gage and snickered a bit when he actually took it. It wouldn't help much, but it was something. "So what'd you think of Shank's face when I threatened to stab him for you?" He asked offhandedly, making his way to his old room.

"Funniest thing I seen in awhile." Gage replied, clearly smiling underneath the mask. "Don't know if he was more surprised that you admitted we're datin' or that you threatened him."

Shrugging, Ash got together the shit he wanted to take back to Sanctum and had a synth take it when his team arrived. He had another one take the Codsworth husk that was still there and then set the rest to work with the usual restorations and such. "You didn't mind me laying it all out there, did you?" Ash asked walking up to Gage and admiring how he looked in his mask. Coupled with the eyepatch and torn jeans, it gave him an appropriately apocalyptic vibe.

"Nah. 'Bout time we gave everyone some new rumors to work with." Gage half-joked, knowing for sure Shank would get the word out to everyone the very moment he could. Raiders really did like gossip and Shank was practically a collector of gossip. Gage supposed he sort of needed to be since he traded in information.

Laughing, Ash nodded in agreement. "Let's head down to the Red Rocket, I think my synths got it from here." Gage gave him a nod and the two set off, Ash getting his mask back once they were a ways past the last house. Gage was in the middle of trying to tune the musty old radio in the Red Rocket to something less grating than the classical music it was crackling out and Ash was linking up with the workshop when there was some popping sounds outside followed by shrill screams. Gage drew his gun immediately but Ash just frowned. "What the fuck was that?"

"Mole rats." Gage growled, firing once the first giant mole scampered into the work area.

"What the fuck?" Ash muttered, getting out his gun as well and helping Gage pick off the small horde of moles.

"Yeah. Like the Commonwealth didn't have enough shit wrong with it." Gage grumbled, huffing once the last mole was dealt with and reloading his gun.

"Not scared of moles are you, Gage?" Ash asked teasingly, raising his eyebrow at Gage.

"No, they're just one of the most disgustin' things ya can come across out here." Gage said, looking away. "Like a giant wrinkled-up dick with legs."

Snorting hard, Ash busted out laughing. "What the fuck, Gage!?" He shouted, shaking his head at the mental image provided to him. Ash calmed down but then started cracking up again, his outburst actually getting a smile out of Gage.

"Shut the hell up, it wasn't that funny." Gage mumbled, walking over and wrapping his arms around Ash's waist before removing his mask so he could kiss him.

Giggling despite the kiss, Ash shook his head. "Yes it fucking was. That's exactly what they look like." He argued, rubbing Gage's chest lightly and humming to himself.

"Y'alright, boss?" Gage mumbled, noting how serious Ash now looked.

"Just thinkin'." Ash mumbled back, laying his head on Gage's shoulder.

"'Bout what?" Gage asked, smiling and resting his head on Ash's.

"How lucky I am that I found you." Ash mumbled, sounding completely sincere for once.

"Gettin' kinda sappy on me there, boss." Gage muttered, trying to hide with humor how surprised he was at Ash's words. He'd sort of been like that ever since they'd made their relationship official, though. Calling Gage "love" and holding his hand more often and occasionally saying the sappiest, sweetest things out of the blue. Gage wasn't sure if that had always been inside of Ash and he just now felt comfortable enough to share it or what, but he wasn't complaining. It felt better than Gage would readily admit to feel so adored by someone.

"I think you like it." Ash muttered back, moving his head a bit lower. "Your heart started beating really fast when I said it." Pulling back a bit, Ash looked up at Gage, looking slightly concerned. "Unless I'm making you uncomfortable."

Tightening his grip when Ash tried to pull away, Gage shook his head, offering Ash a soft smile. "No, you caught me, I kinda like it." He admitted, laying his head back on top of Ash's when he relaxed and replaced his head on his shoulder. Damn those big amber eyes for making Gage so weak.

After a bit of just standing there, Ash took his mask back and put it back on, getting back to work shortly after. With the way his resources were now, if he put everything that wasn't essential on hold, he'd be able to get five decent-sized teams of synths together to build on the new settlements. Team One was busy with Sanctuary which wouldn't take long, so Ash called in Team Two and got them working on the Red Rocket. Like with Diamond City, Ash felt confident leaving his synths to their own devices since all they needed to do was build so he and Gage left shortly after the synths were set to their tasks.

Between clearing settlements of hostiles, reassigning synth teams, allotting times for teams to recharge, building settlements, dealing with any issues that arose, and approving settlements when they were complete, the taking of the Commonwealth took three months total. By the time it was all finished, the gangs of Nuka-World had more than enough room to stretch out and keep from pissing eachother off. The Disciples, as promised, received the bulk of the Commonwealth turfs at ten, then the Operators at nine, and finally the Pack with eight.

There wasn't a single settlement left that wasn't under Ash's control in some way. Even the people who didn't live on one of Ash's settlements stopped by whichever settlement was nearest them regularly to pay Ash tribute, having been _gently persuaded_ to do so by his overwhelming presence in the Commonwealth. Finally, with every farm putting out for his crew and with the surplus of food that Sanctum put out, his raiders were well-fed and, by all reports, everything was good.

Though he'd still need to stop by Nuka-World every now and again to deal with any problems that came up in his absence and make sure everything was still running alright, Ash was now free to start a new adventure. When Ash caught wind of a place up north that could probably use some terrorizing, he knew exactly what that new adventure would be. It was time for Ash and Gage to head to Far Harbor.

* * *

Author's Note: Woo! The Nuka-World arc is done! That marks the end of my original plan for this story. The original idea began and ended with "what if a teenager became to Overboss of Nuka-World and was like REALLY good at it?". Luckily, the original idea has grown larger than my limited imagination and there's still lots more shit to do before I'm finished with these boys.


	25. Acadia

Chapter Specific Characters: Porter Gage, Allen Lee, Captain Avery, DiMA, Chase (S8-49), H1-87, Faraday, Kasumi Nakano

Chapter Specific Tags/Warnings: Non-explicit sex, radiation mutations, synth racism? (kinda, sorta, better safe than sorry), arson, attempted murder

* * *

According to the information Ash could dig up about The Island, which was apparently what it was called, it was constantly blanketed in radioactive fog. Considering Ash didn't want to spend the entire visit in a hazmat suit, that meant he had some work to do on his and Gage's gear. Luckily, lead was pretty easy to come by and Ash was quite a handy person. A thin lead lining for all of their clothes and a couple cobbled together respirator masks later and Ash was feeling good about dealing with the radiation.

It took a full day to get all of their gear outfitted so Ash and Gage set off bright and early the next morning. It probably wouldn't have taken even half the time it did to get their gear finished, but Gage had been in a frisky mood that day, what with watching Ash tinker, and that had turned out to be very distracting. Regardless of set-backs, Ash coupled some calculations with some maps he found in Sanctum's database and figured out where to set his relay point. Worst case scenario, they'd end up on a random part of The Island instead of inside Far Harbor.

Despite it being bright and early at the time of the relay, it was dark when Ash and Gage arrived on the docks of Far Harbor, Ash's coordinates having been good. A quick check of his Pip-Boy revealed to Ash that not even a minute had passed yet so apparently that's just what Far Harbor looked like at eight-o-clock in the damn morning: not quite night time dark, more like before a storm dark, but still quite dark. Some voices coming closer drew Ash's attention from the sky and he spotted a man and woman coming down the docks.

"-saw it too. Blue-" The man who was talking paused when he spotted Ash and Gage, frowning deeply. "-lightning. Who the fuck are you two?"

"Allen!" The woman hissed scoldingly, coming closer and offering Ash and Gage an apologetic smile. "Sorry about that. Are you two lost? This is Far Harbor. We-" The woman paused as she looked around and frowned when she realized there weren't any new boats at the docks. "-don't get many visitors around here." She finished more quietly, now sounding a bit more suspicious and less welcoming.

"We don't need no freeloaders or more _help_, mainlanders." The man, Allen, took over, taking a step forward. "So you can get back in your- how did you even get here?" He demanded, seeming to notice the same thing the woman did. Or rather, the absence of that thing.

"Portal from Hell." Ash replied casually, resting his hand on the hilt of his knife and keeping an eye on Allen. "It's the best way to travel. Very convenient."

"What the fu-" Allen started reaching for the gun on his back before the woman grabbed his arm roughly and shoved him back, stepping between him and Ash.

"Allen! I can handle this, you're **not** helping." She said, pointing angrily up the docks and huffing when Allen left grumbling and muttering curses under his breath. Turning back to the duo, the woman noticed Gage had his gun drawn now but it was lowered, a quiet warning. "Sorry again. I'm Captain Avery. Like I said, this is Far Harbor. Despite what Allen would have you believe, everyone's welcome here, even mainlanders."

Humming softly, Ash eyed Avery a bit before nodding. "Overboss Ash. This is Gage." He introduced, motioning at Gage who nodded once in greeting, keeping up his serious all-business expression that Ash secretly loved. Even with the respirator mask covering the lower half his face, Ash could tell his jaw was clenched and his lips were all thin and set in that grim line that made him look oh-so intimidating.

Though she tried to get her smile back up to friendly, Avery still looked a great deal uncertain. "Any particular reason you two came here? I might be able to-" She started, getting cut off by a bell ringing further up the docks. There was some yelling and commotion from where the bell was coming from and Avery swore lightly before offering Ash and Gage an apologetic look. "'Scuse me, mainlanders." She said quickly before jogging off to see what the commotion was about.

"She's pretty spry for someone with liver spots." Ash muttered, smiling when that made Gage chuckle softly.

"You'll get there one day, whippersnapper." He said, laughing at the look Ash gave him, having gotten enough practice reading Ash's covered expressions to know it was shocked and offended.

"I'll have you know, Nate and Nora were like fifty when the bombs fell and Shaun was like seventy when I killed him so I have it on good authority that my looks are gonna keep, you saucy cowboy motherfucker." Ash informed, tone matter-of-fact and angry, though the anger was mostly for show, as he glared at Gage.

"Whatever you say, darlin'." Gage muttered, laughing when Ash shoved him. He loved how flustered it made Ash when he called him "darlin'".

"One of these days that's not gonna work." Ash grumbled, heading further up the docks and into Far Harbor.

"If you say so, boss." Gage replied smugly, following behind Ash.

The actual town of Far Harbor was strangely empty and it took Ash a moment to realize there were quite a few people up on the makeshift wall surrounding the town. Clearly something was up. Shrugging a bit, Ash walked over to the gate that would allow him to leave and found it locked. Frowning, Ash glanced around before crouching and picking the lock with only a little trouble. When the gates opened, Ash found a small group of people cowering outside them that looked relieved and showered him with thanks as they rushed into the town.

"Shit, the gate!" Someone up on the wall shouted, making Ash glance around. _Whoops_.

"There's no time! Look to the fog!" Another voice shouted as Ash stepped out of the town.

"Get out of there, mainlander!" Avery shouted form above, going ignored as Ash noticed some shapes moving around in the fog.

"Gulpers!" Someone shouted, the sounds of gunshots replacing the sounds of voices as the people up on the wall started firing at a wave of big-ass bipedal salamander-esque creatures.

Humming softly, Ash drew his shotgun and walked closer to the edge of the fog. He could sense Gage's tension as he got closer to the gunfire but Ash stopped a safe-ish distance from where the creatures were and started to help. When the direction the bullets were flying in changed, Ash began to advance again, coming right to the edge of the fog and clearing out the remaining gulpers while the townsfolk took care of whatever was happening on the other side.

As the last gulper fell, Ash glanced back to see how the other side was looking but his head snapped back into place when a wet gurgling noise came from the fog. There was a second where everything was real quiet and then there was shouting from the wall, likely trying to tell Ash to move, as some creatures that looked like a cross between a bulldog and an angler fish started to come from the fog.

Ignoring the shouts, Ash did his thing, Gage helping a bit whenever one of the creatures got too close for his taste, and then everything got quiet again. This time when no more creatures spilled forth from the fog, Ash rested his shotgun on his shoulder, tilting his head a bit. "I guess it still counts as adventure if everything here is as squishy and easy to kill as it is in the Commonwealth." He said calmly, turning when there was the sound of footsteps running behind him.

It was Avery, looking decidedly unhappy, and, a ways behind her, Allen, looking downright pissed. _Joy_, lecture time. "What were you thinking, mainlander?" Avery demanded, looking at Ash like he was crazy.

"I have a name." Ash replied blankly, resting his finger on the trigger of his shotgun even though he left it on his shoulder when Allen caught up.

"He coulda killed us all, opening the gate during an attack!" He shouted, clearly speaking to Avery but glaring at Ash. "This is why we can't trust mainlanders!"

Rolling his eyes, Ash sighed deeply. "Alright, look, I'm gonna tell you this because you people clearly don't keep up with current events on this little backwater island." He started, lowering his shotgun into his other hand and smirking when Allen raised his own gun, prompting Gage to take aim. "I'm sort of known back on the _mainland_ and it isn't exactly for my patience, so I'm gonna have to strongly suggest you back off before I decide to stop being all calm and mature and shit."

"Was that a **threat**, mainlander?" Allen snarled, Ash suddenly realizing who he reminded him of. He had that same over-testosteroned, hyper-"alpha" energy that Mason had had.

Before things could escalate further, Avery stepped between Ash and Allen, holding her hands up defensively towards Ash. "This doesn't need to get ugly." She said, her voice surprisingly calm. "Ash here didn't know we were in the middle of an attack, Allen. You can't very well expect a mainlander to know what the bell means."

"Knows damn good and well what a lock means." Allen retorted, still glaring at Ash. "One of 'em had to have picked it to get out."

"He's got you there, Cap." Ash agreed, shrugging when Avery looked at him incredulously.

"That's it, I'm gon-" Allen started, pushing past Avery to get at Ash before crying out in surprised pain as a bullet whizzed past his head, taking a good bit of his ear with it.

"I wouldn't." Gage said coldly, eye glued to Allen and the barrel of his gun smoking a bit in the damp air.

Avery opened her mouth to say something but when her eyes glanced past Ash, she started, closed her mouth, and looked at him in surprise. "Oh, I see." She said quietly, nudging Allen hard as he cupped his ear and swore noisily in the background. Avery said something Ash didn't quite catch as he tilted his head and when Allen looked at him, his eyes widened a bit before narrowing. "Just go. Have Teddy look at your ear, I'll deal with this." She said quietly, Allen grudgingly leaving while he just kept swearing.

"You should've told me you were here for Acadia." Avery sighed, turning her attention back to Ash. "Normally I'd try to get you to take a guide, but I think you two can handle yourselves." Coming closer, Avery pointed off into the fog. "Just keep going straight until you find an old hiking trail. Follow that up, you'll find Acadia in no time."

Still quite confused, Ash didn't respond, but Avery didn't wait for one, going back inside the gate after she'd given the directions. "Well, that was weird." Ash muttered, frowning deeply. "Like, weirder than usual."

"Yeah." Gage replied slowly, also confused and slowly tearing his eye from Avery's retreating form to Ash. When he also started, his eye widening in surprise, Ash frowned even more.

"What?" He demanded, having been ready to brush it off as some weird Islander bullshit before Gage had the same reaction to looking at him.

"Your eyes are glowin', boss." Gage muttered, looking and sounding an equal mix of awed and concerned.

Confusion only growing, Ash stared at Gage for a bit before shrugging dramatically at him. "And?" He demanded, confusion quickly morphing into annoyance. "You know they do that when I get riled up, why are you-"

"No." Gage interrupted, looking around. "They're **glowin'**." Bending down, Gage picked up a shard of mirror from a nearby car's side-mirror. He wiped it off a bit on his jeans and then held it up for Ash.

Resisting the urge to snatch the bit of mirror because he didn't want to accidentally cut Gage, Ash took the shard and looked into it, nearly dropping it when it reflected a faint yellow-orange glow coming from under the low brim of his hat. Tilting his hat back slowly, Ash let out a breath, his eyes indeed quite literally glowing. "Whoa." He muttered, lightly touching the area around his eyes with his claws. "That's new."

"Do you feel alright?" Gage asked, coming closer and tilting Ash's head up so he could look at his eyes easier.

"Yeah." Ash muttered, letting Gage move his face about. "I mean, I was sort of figuring I was gonna have to fight that dock brute so I guess my adrenaline's a little high, but I feel fine."

"Breathe." Gage murmured, brushing his thumbs across Ash's forehead gently and watching his eyes dim slowly as he took calming breaths. "That was it." He said quietly, letting Ash's head go. "They're back to normal now."

"Huh." Ash huffed, slowly replacing his hat before laughing softly. "Guess that explains their reaction but I still don't know who or what Acadia is."

"Only one way to find out." Gage said, frowning when he looked to Ash for confirmation. "What's all that for?" He asked, looking as concerned as he could with most of his face covered.

Realizing his eyes must've started glowing again, Ash looked away in embarrassment. "Sorry." He muttered, already hating whatever the hell had caused the change in his eyes. "I just really love you."

Laughing in a confused sort of way, Gage shook his head. "You're lucky we can't take these masks off." He muttered, looking into the gloomy fog before reloading his gun. Just in case.

"**You're** lucky we can't take these masks off." Ash replied lowly, walking into the fog with Gage trailing close behind him. The fog touching Ash's exposed skin was an interesting sensation, sort of tingly and actually kind of pleasant. He was sure it was doing some damage since it **was** radioactive fog, but the fact that it didn't outright hurt made Ash feel good about his decision to refuse to wear a shirt that covered his midriff.

Following the path Avery had told them to take, Ash and Gage came across a group of not-quite-raiders, two separate packs of ferals, and a few scattered gulpers. Just as Avery had predicted, they handled every challenge with ease, making it to the top of the mountain within a few hours. By then, the Island had lightened up a bit, the sky only getting brighter the further up they went and looking barely gloomy, as opposed to decidedly foreboding, once they reached the peak.

Looking around, Ash took his respirator mask off. "Looks like the fog doesn't reach up here." Gage took his mask off as well and Ash stored both in his pack. "So I guess Acadia's a where, not a who or what."

"Guess so." Gage agreed, gun still drawn and ready.

Putting his own gun away, Ash slipped his usual mask on. "Let's go see if whoever lives here is more friendly than those dock rats." He said almost excitedly, walking into the central building of Acadia and glancing around. There were a couple of doors on the hall, but Ash's attention was caught by what looked like some serious machinery in the room straight ahead. Walking forward and still looking around, Ash was startled as a man started talking.

"You know, when I first climbed this mountain, above the fog, I thought to myself: now here is a metaphor worth taking in." The man, or more accurately machine now that he was standing and coming closer and Ash got a look at him, said calmly, offering Ash an approximation of a smile. "You've entered a place of clarity. Understanding. Peace. I am DiMA, and while you're here in Acadia, synth-kind welcomes you, as long as you welcome us."

In that moment, it dawned on Ash that those dock rats must've thought his eyes were glowing because he was a synth. Smiling behind his mask and trying not to laugh, Ash nodded a bit at DiMA's greeting. "I'm Overboss Ash, this is Gage." He introduced, tone not betraying his amusement as he motioned back at Gage.

"It's a pleasure." DiMA offered, voice calm and kind and Ash finding it slightly grating for some reason. "What brings you two here, if you don't mind my asking?"

Deciding he could have fun with this, Ash tilted his hat back and conjured up some mental images that got his blood pumping, _pleading eyes, sweat and blood smeared on a chest, skin parting under a knife_, his eyes starting to glow shortly after. DiMA looked surprised and then nodded slightly, looking understanding.

"Ah, I see. How very fascinating." He said quietly, coming down the stairs of his raised platform and leaning in a little closer to Ash's face, just shy of invading his bubble. "I've never seen a generation three with eyes that still glow."

Shrugging, Ash tried not to let his smile get too out of control even though his mask hid it. Maybe whatever the hell was happening with his eyes wasn't so bad after all. "Well, you know how the Institute is." He offered, getting another surprised look from DiMA.

"So, you're aware of what you are?"

"Well, yeah." Ash replied easily, lowering his hat again. "That's why I came here."

"Of course." DiMA said, moving away from Ash and offering him another calm smile. "Well, we're always happy to take in another synth looking to live a peaceful life as who they are. Feel free to explore, all of Acadia is open to you, both of you."

Nodding once in thanks, Ash left the room, managing to keep from laughing until he and Gage were a fair distance from the main room. "What a sucker, holy shit." He muttered, chuckling under his breath.

"I didn't know you could act, boss." Gage muttered, sounding impressed as a small smile played his face.

Shrugging, Ash paused as a woman in a courser coat came out of a doorway and passed him in the hall. "Yeah." He muttered distractedly, turning to look at the woman. "That's a courser coat, right? I'm not seeing things?"

"Sure looks like one to me." Gage confirmed, frowning a bit. Most of Ash's coursers didn't bother Gage. They called him "sir", gave him the occasional non-committal greeting nod, and otherwise didn't do anything that stood out to Gage one way or another. There was one courser though that Gage couldn't stand and it sort of made him wary of all the other ones. The one Ash called on the most, H1-87, if Gage recalled correctly, bothered the hell out of him. Gage wasn't really sure **what** about them made him so uncomfortable exactly, just that when Ash called them in, he tried to stay out of the way.

Frowning a bit, Ash walked over to the woman who was now leaning against the wall in the hallway. "Hey. Is that a courser coat?" Never one for subtlety, Ash decided to get right down to business.

"It is." The woman replied, frowning suspiciously at Ash. "How did you know that?"

Quickly getting some mental images going, _bodies hanging from a ceiling, a paintbrush dipped in blood gliding across a canvas, the swell and curve of soft skin_, Ash got his eyes glowing, tilting his hat back briefly so the woman could see. She gave him the same surprised look everyone did and then nodded her head understandingly.

"Most synths don't make it out of a confrontation with a courser." She said, looking Ash up and down and then doing the same to Gage. "You two must be quite the team together."

Shrugging a bit, Ash put his hands behind his back, working blind to get a familiar code entered into his Pip-Boy. "I like to think we are." He admitted, hitting the button to send the code and hoping he'd done it right. Before an awkward silence could descend in the hall, there was a flash of blue beside Ash and he grinned. If the shock on the woman's face was any indication, he'd done it right.

"S8-49?" H1-87's familiar monotone said quietly, voice almost showing surprise.

"Skye." The woman breathed, eyes wide in shock.

"Oh, you know eachother?" Ash asked chipperly, looking between S8-49 and- Skye? He mentally set that aside to be dealt with later, choosing to focus on the reunion he'd apparently orchestrated instead.

"She died a long time ago." H1-87 replied quietly, eyes narrowing just a fraction more than their usual resting-bitch-face. "Or not, apparently."

Meanwhile, Gage had slowly made his way around the mess currently unfolding in the hall and was standing behind Ash. It all happened as quickly as he'd been expecting when S8-49 pulled her gun from the holster and took aim at H1-87 who was just as quick on the draw. Before lasers could start flying, Gage yanked Ash out of the way, huffing out a sigh. "God damn trouble maker." He muttered, watching the two coursers stare eachother down, each with their weapon aimed at the others head.

"I haven't even gotten started." Ash muttered back, flashing Gage a glimpse of a metal cylindrical object in his hand before he tossed it behind himself, putting enough force behind the throw to get it into the main room down the hall but doing it underhanded so as to try not to draw attention to himself.

Looking back with a frown, Gage located the object and quickly faced forward again, cringing and preparing for the blast. He hadn't gotten a good look at the object, but he knew a grenade when he saw one. When the explosion came, it actually wasn't that bad, more like a particularly violent lightning strike and Gage's eye widened when he realized what sort of grenade that had been.

"Wonder what kind of damage a pulse grenade would do to all that fancy equipment in there." Ash said casually, H1-87 and Gage looking at him while S8-49's wide eyes remained on the room in question.

"No." She breathed, breaking away from the group to run down the hall.

Just as S8-49 passed the other door on the hall, it flung open and a man came running out, looking and sounding quite panicked. "What was that!? What happened!?" He demanded running into the room with her.

"Get a team together, round up all the synths on the property and figure out what their designations are." Ash said, not bothering to look at H1-87 as he watched the two people further down the hall navigate through the sparking machines in the room. "Recall all of them and get them wiped. Assign them wherever it looks like they're needed."

"Right away." H1-87 replied coldly, a bit of extra ice in their tone as they started entering commands into their wrist device.

Drawing his shotgun, Ash walked down the hall towards the room he'd bombed, Gage following close behind him. The sparking was starting to die down, but alot of the machinery was clearly fucked up from the blast and when Ash located the man and S8-49, he grinned. He'd succeeded in getting the machine he'd been aiming to hit the hardest with the blast, DiMA laying still in the man's arms who was trying desperately to turn him back on.

"Guess it was quite alot of damage." Ash said, his voice calm despite his grin and glowing eyes.

S8-49's head snapped up when he spoke and she raised her gun, Gage also raising his. "Why!?" She demanded, eyes shiny though she wasn't crying. "Why would you do this!? Acadia was a place of peace!"

"Peace is overrated." Ash replied, managing not to flinch when Gage fired beside him, shooting the gun from S8-49's hand just as her finger moved to the trigger. That didn't seem to deter her very much and she looked like she was about to charge Ash unarmed when H1-87 entered the room, drawing her attention.

"S8-49 initialize factory reset." They said calmly, looking up from the device on their wrist to S8-49's wide, panicked eyes. "Authorization omega five nine delta." Walking further into the room, H1-87 also rattled off the man's recall code and then had the two deactivated synths relayed from the room before leaving without so much as a glance at either Ash or Gage.

Once they were gone, Ash spoke up. "They're so cool." He muttered, shaking his head a bit.

Snorting, Gage looked at Ash like he'd lost his mind. "Seriously?"

"They are." Ash confirmed, sighing a bit and looking at Gage. "You don't think so?"

"Creepy's more like." Gage muttered back, shaking his head and suddenly pulling Ash close by the waist. "Have I mentioned lately how sexy you are when you're destroyin' lives?" He asked, smirking as Ash's eyes went from a dim glow to practically lighting up his face.

"Maybe." Ash muttered, blushing darkly under his mask. "I like hearing it though."

"Fuckin' love watchin' you work." Gage practically growled, removing Ash's mask to kiss him.

When H1-87 returned, Gage had Ash half naked and pinned down and they cleared their throat pointedly, watching with a neutral expression as Gage cringed and let Ash up, looking embarrassed. Ash just looked annoyed as he sat up, frowning at H1-87. Deciding it best not to make Ash ask what they wanted, H1-87 spoke. "We've finished collecting the synths that were being harbored here, but there was a human among them. She says she came here under the belief she was a synth but my scanners indicate otherwise."

Groaning, Ash flopped his head back, his hat getting smushed under his head and cushioning him from hitting the metal floor. "Dismissed." He grumbled, waving his hand at H1-87 and sitting up after a bit of pouting. "Guess I have to go deal with that." Ash sighed, zipping his shirt up and putting his belts back on.

"Guess so." Gage agreed, standing and adjusting himself discreetly now that it was just him and Ash.

Standing as well, Ash fixed the rest of his clothes and stalked off, finding the woman in question easily. She was in the room Ash assumed H1-87 had corralled the synths in, sitting on the floor and looking rather shaken. Despite the fact that there weren't any guards in the room, she didn't seem intent on leaving. Rolling his eyes, Ash walked over, Gage flanking him like he always did. "Bit of a jarring day for you, huh?" He started, snickering softly when she started at his voice.

Looking up at Ash, the woman seemed to search him for something and then looked back down. "It's funny, you look like a man, not a monster." She muttered, actually managing to surprise Ash. "But only a monster could've seen this place and thought it needed to be destroyed."

"Well I haven't destroyed it yet." Ash muttered, frowning a bit under his mask.

"Yet?" The woman asked incredulously, head snapping up to look at Ash angrily. "What more could you do? You've already enslaved all the people here who were just trying to live their lives!"

Rolling his eyes, Ash looked unmoved. "No, I reclaimed my property. Those were synths, not people."

"Did you even talk to them!?" The woman yelled, standing and not seeming to care that Gage leveled his gun on her. "They were as good as human, every one of them! More human than you!"

"Not a high bar to clear." Ash replied blandly, shrugging in the face of the woman's indignance. "Look, lady, I didn't come down here to argue the morality or synth slavery with you, I came down here to tell you to fuck off. You don't have to go home, but you can't stay here."

Letting out an unsteady, disbelieving laugh, the woman shook her head. "Fine." She huffed, wiping away some unshed tears and storming past Ash towards the stairs.

"Yeesh." Ash muttered, shaking his head a bit. "Bleeding heart, much?"

"No kiddin'." Gage muttered, holstering his gun and smirking at Ash. "Now, where were we?"

It wasn't even ten minutes later when Ash and Gage were interrupted once again, this time by the unmistakable smell of smoke. Laughing in a decidedly unhinged way, Ash sat up. "I swear to god if that's fire, I'm going to lose my shit." Gage simply sighed, equally tired of being interrupted but getting up regardless and walking with Ash up the stairs that would take them to the main hall once they were both decent again. Sure enough, halfway up the stairs, there was the telltale orange glow of fire.

Getting as close as he could, Ash saw that the entire hall, or at least all he could see of it from the safest landing, was on fire, blocking the only door. Gritting his teeth in anger, Ash got out his and Gage's respirator masks and handed Gage his, putting his own on. He then took a moment to do some mental math before setting up a relay and grabbing Gage's hand. When they came out of it, they came out on the trail that led up to Acadia and the woman Ash had told to leave almost ran into them a few moments later.

Stopping abruptly, the woman stumbled back, losing her footing on the damp ground and falling on her ass. She looked up at Ash and Gage in mingling shock, confusion, and fear. "You- b-but I- how?"

Sticking his shotgun in her face, Ash glared down at the woman. "A fire? Really? Did those machines really mean that much to you?" He asked angrily, eyes as bright as the fire that they'd left to consume Acadia.

"They were people!" The woman screamed, knocking Ash's gun away from her face only to cry out in pain when Ash flipped it around and swung the butt like a bat, connecting it squarely with the side of her head and knocking her down into the mud.

"People don't have little chips in their brains that let them be controlled!" Ash screamed back, holstering his shotgun and taking out his knife instead. "I can't enter a command into my Pip-Boy and make a person get me a drink! I could make any synth under my command shoot themself in the head with a single line of code! You can't do that to people! Synths aren't people!"

Choking on a sob, the woman glared up at Ash, crying openly but still looking angry. "You don't get to decide that! Just because they were created, doesn't mean they're not people! They have thoughts and feelings! That makes them people!" She argued, moving to get up and gasping in pain when Ash kicked her hard in the chest to keep her down.

"Dogs have thoughts and feelings too, does that make **them** people!?" Ash shouted, stomping down on the woman's chest and leaning over her, the bulk of his weight pressing down on her. "I gave you a chance to run, to go back to whatever it was you left to come here, but now you've pissed me off." He growled, pushing off of the woman's chest only to drop down on top of her, his knees pinning her arms down painfully as he straddled her chest and pressed his knife to her throat.

"Fuck you, you fucking monster!" She screamed, thrashing against Ash despite the knife.

Snarling, Ash pressed down with enough force to bury the full width of the knife in the woman's neck and jerked his arm to the side, getting spattered with blood and watching with an ugly, though hidden, smile as she choked on her own blood and died quickly. Huffing, Ash wiped his knife off on a part of her shirt that wasn't too muddy and got up, holstering the long blade. Gage's arms wrapping around him from behind made Ash tense up momentarily before his mind caught up with him and he let out a shaky sigh, relaxing and laying his head back against the taller man's shoulder.

"Y'alright?" Gage murmured, lightly squeezing Ash's chest and noting in the back of his mind how much more of Ash there was to squeeze than the last time he'd noticed the teen's weight so long ago up on the roof of the power plant in Nuka-World.

"Yeah." Ash breathed, turning and hugging Gage back. "I'm alright."

Pulling back a bit, Gage jerked his head lightly towards the top of the mountain. "Wanna go watch Acadia burn for awhile?"

Smiling and forgetting all about how angry he'd been mere moments ago, Ash nodded, holding Gage's hand as they walked back up to the top of the mountain and found a spot a safe distance away to sit and watch Acadia burn. They took off their respirators and soon the innocent watching of a building burn to the ground turned to kissing and then Ash and Gage finally got to finish what they'd started.

Afterwards, the couple lay cuddling in the muck while the fire still raged on, apparently able to find plenty of kindling to feed itself within the building. Gage had his arm around Ash from behind and was watching the fire when the orange glow reminded him of something. "We should probably see a doctor about your eyes, boss." He muttered, looking down and noticing that Ash's eyes were indeed currently faintly glowing. Or maybe the fire was just being reflected in them. It was hard to tell until Ash looked up at him, the glow not vanishing even when he angled his head away from the fire.

"You think so?" He asked softly, humming a bit when Gage nodded, looking serious and just a tad concerned. Ash turned back to the fire, lacing his fingers with Gage's hand. "Alright. I'll talk to the doctor in Diamond City about them."

"Why not the one in Nuka-World?" Gage asked, nuzzling his face into Ash's neck.

"Don't trust her." Ash replied, sighing contently and closing his eyes.

"Fair." Gage mumbled, going quiet after that.

Both men fell asleep to the sound of Acadia burning and were only woken up when Ash's Pip-Boy started to trill, letting him know that it was dinner-time. Turning the alarm off, Ash sat up slowly and groaned. "What a terrible place to sleep naked." He muttered, getting a tired laugh from Gage.

"We've done worse." He pointed out, sitting up and cringing a bit at all the grime he could feel in places that really had no business being grimy. "On second thought."

Laughing, Ash looked over at Gage. "Put on some underwear or something, I'm relaying us to Sanctum."

"Yes, boss." Gage replied playfully, getting up to put his underwear on and laughing softly when Ash smacked his ass.

Standing up as well, Ash helped Gage collect the rest of their clothes and then relayed with him, both men separating once they were inside Sanctum so they could scrub the grime off themselves. Once they were finished, they ate together and then climbed into Ash's large bed. They weren't tired per se, not after having just slept and eaten, but they managed to entertain eachother and work up some fatigue, getting to bed at a decent hour with a combined effort.

For it being the first day, and even though he hadn't been the one to start the fire that had taken Acadia, Ash felt he'd been very productive in terrorizing The Island and was excited for day two.


	26. Far Harbor and The Nucleus

Chapter Specific Characters: Porter Gage, Allen Lee, Captain Avery, Grand Zealot Richter, High Confessor Tektis, H1-87/Skye

* * *

After a shower and breakfast the next day, Ash and Gage returned to The Island, Ash deciding to relay them right to Acadia so they could see how the fire was going. The fact that the ground was muddy and the fire was out suggested rainfall the night before had put an end to the fire before it could fully consume the building. It became quickly apparent that the fire had at least lasted long enough to draw attention because Ash and Gage's sudden appearance startled a few Far Harbor residents who had been picking through the charred remains of Acadia.

"Hey." Ash greeted casually, hearing Gage take aim behind him as the loud one from Far Harbor stomped over with his gun drawn. He had a bandage over his right ear and that made Ash feel warm and fuzzy inside even if the injury clearly hadn't taught him his lesson.

"You do this, synth?" He demanded, motioning behind himself with his head.

"You'll never believe that I didn't." Ash replied calmly, smiling behind his respirator mask.

After a second or two, the loud one narrowed his eyes, seeming to realize he either admitted to believing Ash didn't do it or proved him right. Just as he was opening his mouth to say something that would've probably gotten him shot, the voice of reason came over. Ash couldn't remember either of their damn names. Cap! He knew she was Cap. Cap came over.

"Allen, what are you- oh." She started, noticing Ash and Gage and frowning deeply. "I don't suppose you two know what happened here?" She asked, tone trying so hard not to be accusing.

"It's a long story that you really don't need all the details to, but the only human who was living here tried to burn the place down with us inside. She's the one who started the fire." Ash replied, glancing behind Cap to see how many people were rummaging through the semi-crumbling remains of Acadia. "She's dead now, though, so, y'know, wasteland justice or something." He muttered, seeing a few others. Not more than he and Gage could handle easily.

When Gage snorted out a brief clip of a laugh at Ash's comment it made him smile. Gage was usually so serious when they were dealing with people so it felt good to know he could make him crack a little. Cap and Allen seemed to notice as well, Allen's eyes narrowing at Gage but Cap's attention quickly going back to Ash.

"Suppose the reason she tried to burn it down with you two in it is one of those details I don't need?" Cap asked, frowning in a way that Ash could only describe as "disapproving grandmother". He'd never liked his grandparents on either side. Nate's had been insufferably sweet and Nora's had been stricter than both Nate and Nora combined.

Mood suddenly a bit more sour than when the whole exchange had started, Ash gave a shrug. "As the leader of the Institute, I felt it was my right to reclaim my property. She didn't appreciate that."

"The-" Cap started, getting cut off by Allen.

"I knew it!" He shouted, raising his gun and dropping dead a second later. The sound of Gage's gun going off caught the attention of everyone in the area and Ash giggled softly at the sudden escalation, not caring nearly as much as Cap did that they were all three now covered in bits of Allen's brain and skull.

If her expression was any indication, Gage's gun was now leveled on Cap. "He's been a douche since we got here." Ash hummed, sliding his hands casually into his coat's pockets. "Was he always like that, or?" He trailed off, raising an eyebrow that Cap couldn't see questioningly.

It all happened really fast after that, with Cap reaching for her gun and getting shot like Allen. Then the people down below who'd been watching tensely started drawing their weapons and Ash let out a sigh, drawing his shotgun and helping Gage clear out the dock rats pilfering Acadia. It wasn't even a minute later when everything got quiet again, the harborpeople dead now and Ash and Gage spattered with gore.

"You'd think after seeing how easy it was for you to kill the other two, they'd consider just walking away, but no, they chose to die instead." Ash muttered, shaking his head at the corpses lying in the rubble. "They always choose to die instead."

"Scavvers." Gage agreed, glancing at Ash and smiling a bit. "We're gonna go kill the rest of 'em now, ain't we?" He asked, his tone knowing.

Smiling broadly, Ash looked at Gage. "You know me so well."

"You're a "sins of the father" kinda guy. That town was doomed the moment Avery there drew her gun." Gage replied, tone distinctly lacking any judgment.

"That verse isn't about punishing the son for the sins of the father, it's the opposite." Ash informed, frowning a bit when Gage looked puzzled.

"What verse?"

"You- sins of the father, it-it's from the bible." Ash muttered, frowning more when Gage looked at him like he was crazy. "Ezekiel 18:20." He mumbled, deflating a bit when Gage just kept staring.

"Not really a bible kinda guy, boss. Didn't really take you for one either." Gage said, **now** sounding judgmental.

"No, I- wait, so that's just an expression, then? It just means punishing someone for something someone else did?" Ash asked, trying to keep control of the conversation.

"Well, yeah." Gage replied, shrugging.

"Huh. Good to know, I guess." Ash muttered, taking a moment to reload his shotgun.

"So, about that bible thing." Gage pressed, following Ash's lead even as he kept eyeballing the teen suspiciously.

"Oh, I'm not religious." Ash said, waving a hand dismissively at Gage. "I used to go to church with Nate every Sunday I could though. I always thought it was both amazing and incredibly stupid that an ancient book could control how so many people lived their lives."

Looking relieved, Gage laughed softly, shaking his head. "That sounds more like it. Ya had me worried for a minute there, boss."

"Don't worry, Gage, I was never a religious man." Ash said, pulling his Pip-Boy up to start plugging in the coordinates for a Far Harbor relay so they wouldn't have to walk. "The closest I'll ever get to believing in divinity is being around you."

Eye widening, Gage's face turned red but he coughed and looked away to try and hide it. "Jesus, boss, no need to get all mushy on me." He grumbled, hoping that Ash couldn't somehow hear his racing heart.

Smiling a bit to himself, Ash simply took Gage by the hand and triggered the relay. Gage could pretend to be all tough and above sweet-talk, but Ash knew otherwise, able to remember vividly every sweet word Gage had ever whispered to him during or after sex. He wasn't sure Gage was aware of half the things he ever muttered between kisses but Ash catalogued every bit of mushiness and cherished it. Gage could act all tough and pretend to be above sweet-talk, but Ash knew he lived for that sappy shit just as much as he himself did.

As soon as they arrived in Far Harbor with the usual zap of blue lightning, Ash and Gage gained an audience. Cocking his shotgun with his usual unnecessarily dramatic flair, Ash decided to skip the preamble and simply shot the first person closest to him. The docks immediately erupted into chaos but chaos was the environment Ash tended to thrive in. Gage didn't thrive in chaos so much as he was gradually getting used to that being his working environment and was acclimating, but he still did a good job of helping Ash kill everyone in Far Harbor, mostly taking out targets up on the wall surrounding the docks or down below on the lower docks.

With Ash being more suited to close-up combat and Gage being more suited to range, they complimented eachother nicely and Far Harbor was without a single living resident within ten minutes of their arrival. It always awed Ash to think about how quickly he was able to clear locations of living inhabitants. It made him really and truly feel like a force to be reckoned with.

"That was fun." Ash sighed, looking around to make sure they'd gotten everyone. "Wonder if there are any other towns on this shitty island."

"Suppose we could explore and find out." Gage said, nudging a nearby corpse with his foot before turning his attention to Ash. "Can't exactly ask the locals anymore."

"Probably shoulda thought about that." Ash mumbled, shrugging a bit and reloading his shotgun. "Something to consider for next time."

Huffing out a laugh, Gage shook his head and as he looked away from Ash, his eye was caught by some movement. "Think we mighta missed someone, boss." He mumbled, nodding his head in the direction he'd seen the movement.

"Oh, fantastic! We can ask them about other towns." Ash said happily, walking in the direction Gage had indicated and breaking into a sprint when the person who'd been trying to hide started to run. For running in four-inch tall heels, Ash was pretty fast and furthermore, he had a distinct habit of never giving a single fuck about anything and so simply tackled the person when he got close enough rather than trying to catch up to them.

They both hit the ground and rolled a bit due to the momentum and the person ended up on top. Just as they were going to get off of Ash, a bullet whizzed past their head from behind them and Ash grinned. "That was a warning. He won't miss again." He said, actually getting a good look at the person and realizing he recognized the kind of clothes they were wearing.

"Get up nice and slow." Gage called from a ways behind them, his gun cocking threateningly when the person hesitated.

They quickly put their hands up and slowly got off of Ash. He heard Gage coming closer and sat up, flicking on his Pip-Boy light in order to cut through the gloom of the fog all around and get a better look at the rags the person was dressed in. "I've seen clothes like that before." Ash said, looking up at the person from his spot on the ground. "I came across a whole group of people wearing them once."

"Then you came across a group of Atom's children." The person said, surprisingly calm for someone being held at gunpoint. "Your eyes glow with the gift of Atom."

Shooting Gage a look over the person's shoulder, Ash got up, taking a moment to brush off his clothes before putting a hand on his hip. "You think so, huh?"

Nodding, the person slowly put their hands down, looking at Ash with what he could only describe as great interest. "Are you the one who burned down Acadia?"

"More or less." Ash answered, tilting his head a bit. "Why? You here to avenge them or some shit?"

"Certainly not." The person scoffed, tilting their chin up almost indignantly. "We saw the fire and I was sent to investigate. I arrived in time to see you two slaughter this village of heretics." At that, Ash raised an eyebrow, suddenly very interested in this person. "I thought you were simply two exceptionally powerful trappers, but now that I see you've been blessed by Atom, I believe differently."

"Wait, so, you're like from a religion?" Ash asked, his curious tone making Gage raise an eyebrow at him.

"I am a Child of Atom and you, I believe, are a messenger sent by the divine glow to cleanse this island of the heretics who would reject the holy fog."

When Ash's eyes started to glow even brighter than they had been, Gage felt a glimmer of hope. Then Ash opened his mouth and it was snuffed out like an old cigarette. "You are perceptive. Atom's glow surely shines brightly within you, as well."

Straightening up, the cultist practically beamed with pride, grinning at Ash with their bleeding gums. "I think the High Confessor would be delighted to meet you, messenger."

"You may call me Ash."

"Ah, what a fitting name for a messenger of Atom." The cultist hummed, turning and looking Gage up and down briefly before frowning. "Your friend here is neither a messenger of Atom nor one of the blessed, I see."

"He is my loyal protector." Ash informed, shooting Gage a wink before the cultist looked his way again. "Where I go, he goes."

"Well, I suppose it wouldn't hurt for him to _see_ our holy ground." The cultist said, nodding to themself and leading the way to wherever the High Confessor was.

"This is all for fun, right?" Gage whispered, keeping pace with Ash a few steps behind the cultist. "You don't really think you're a messenger of Atom or some shit?"

"Of course not." Ash responded, a grin in his voice. "But I found more people for us to kill."

Letting out a quiet sigh of relief, which he realized dimly was a horribly morbid thing to do given what Ash had just said, Gage nodded a bit. "Alright. So long as I ain't losin' ya."

"I already told you, Gage, I'm not religious. I do _love_ religious people, though." Ash muttered, putting a decidedly sinister emphasis on "love".

After a few hours of tromping through mud, ankle deep muck, and the occasional innards of some unfortunate creature looking for a meal, the group arrived at the base of the Children of Atom. Outside the actual base, there was another group and the cultist leading them held their arm out to tell them to stop. Tilting his head curiously, Ash watched the scene unfolding before them.

"Richter, please. You can't do this. We've been loyal-" A man started, getting cut off by another man, the one in charge if the other two people flanking him were any indication.

"It's Grand Zealot to you." The man, Richter, growled, calming down again a moment later. "And your dedication has come into doubt. You need to prove your faith. One of you may return to the fold, the other will return to Atom."

"Richter, this is insane! You can't expect us to-" The other man started, getting cut off when the woman standing beside him drew her gun and shot him, his words ending in a cry of pain.

Raising both eyebrows, Ash looked to their guide who looked pleased before turning his eyes back to the scene. "Will there be anything else?" The woman who'd shot the man asked.

"That'll be all, sister." Richter said, sounding pleased.

"Thank you, Grand Zealot." The woman said, nodding once before walking into the base.

When their tour guide continued forward, Ash followed them, Gage trailing behind uncertainly. "Ah, sibling, you have returned." Richter said, offering their guide a slight smile before his gaze turned to Ash and he frowned lightly. "And you've brought outsiders."

"This is Ash. He is a messenger of Atom. He holds Atom's glow within him." The guide said, looking back at Ash eagerly.

Taking that as his cue, Ash tilted his hat back and got his eyes to glow, finding he only needed to focus to make it happen instead of needing to call on mental images to get his heart racing. He knew he'd succeeded when Richter's eyes widened in surprise.

"So he does." He said lowly, coming closer and examining Ash's eyes. "Fascinating. Am I correct in assuming you're the one who burned Acadia, then?"

"Correct." Ash confirmed, fixing his hat. "I also laid waste to the heretics in Far Harbor." Richter looked to the guide for confirmation and they nodded eagerly, Richter looking impressed when he turned his eyes back on Ash.

"The High Confessor will surely want to speak with you, then."

"Delightful." Ash said, motioning for Richter to lead the way. He started to, but then the guide piped up.

"Perhaps your companion could wait outside for you, Ash." They said, looking slightly nervous. "The High Confessor has strict rules about outsiders. You are a messenger of Atom and, of course, welcome among us, but- well, your companion-"

As if he had just realized Gage was there, Richter nodded. "Yes, our sibling has a point. Your companion may only enter Atom's holy ground if he proves his faith."

"A vouch from a messenger of Atom isn't good enough?" Ash asked, not dropping the "zealoty" way he'd been speaking since deciding to go along with this shit show despite how he was now preparing to have to drop the act.

"Well, I suppose an exception could be made just this once." Richter muttered after mulling it over for a bit, glancing at Gage again before looking down at Ash. "If you truly vouch for him."

"I do." Ash said, resisting the strong urge to reach back and take Gage's hand. "His faith in Atom's almighty glow is as pure as my own, this I swear by."

"Very well." Richter said, continuing on inside and leading Ash up a ramp to the top of a pre-war nuclear submarine. When he stopped and simply stayed put, Ash stopped looking around in awe and paid attention to what was happening. Another man on top of the sub was giving a speech. Oh, this **had** to be good.

"-them, we will wipe Far Harbor from the island!" The man who Ash assumed was the High Confessor shouted, Ash definitely coming in a little late to whatever he was shouting about. "The people of Far Harbor need only _peer_ out their windows to look upon the **face** of Atom, given form in holy fog!" _Ah_. Leaning a hip against the railing he was beside, Ash smiled to himself. It'd been too long since he'd gotten to hear a good seething sermon. "They are doomed, my siblings, and they know it. Yet no matter how **inevitable** Atom's reign in this land may be, they deny it!"

A cacophony of jeers from the congregation down below and Ash was happy his respirator mask hid so much of his face since his smile was definitely on the condescending side. "Yes! They **scoff** at us behind their condensers, **kill** our missionaries, **slay** those who only wish to bring them the light! _No longer_." He paused dramatically and Ash had to bite his lip hard to keep from snickering. "After years of skulking in the shadows like whipped dogs, our purpose is clear, the key to our victory lies within the Nucleus itself. Atom's veil will roll down its streets, holy fog cleansing the land of their heresy!"

The room erupted in cheers but only briefly before the High Confessor threw up his hands to calm everyone. "And when we are finally granted division, it will be as heroes! A new day dawns, my siblings!" The room was charged, it was practically palpable. "_Glory to Atom!_" The High Confessor shouted, the room echoing the words back at him in unison. Ash wanted to cry. He'd missed religious people so much. He hadn't been so entertained just from listening to someone talk since Mr. Sexy Accent.

Once the room had calmed down, the High Confessor turned only to notice the three of them standing nearby. He caught Richter's eyes and he apparently took that as his cue to start explaining. "The scout we sent to Far Harbor returned with a gift from Atom. A messenger, blessed by holy light and given the drive to cleanse Far Harbor of the heretics within."

Ash's hat was already tilted back and his eyes already glowing brightly when the High Confessor turned back to him and he looked surprised for a moment before grinning broadly. "You are blessed indeed, child. What is your name?"

"Ash." He replied, keeping the grin from his voice. "Far Harbor ran red today with the blood of the unworthy for Atom's glory."

"Atom's light is strong within you, Ash." The High Confessor said, sounding extraordinarily pleased. "Now that our enemies have all been slain, Atom's holy fog will finally be able to take this land back."

Suddenly Ash got an idea. An awful idea. Ash got a _wonderful_, awful idea. "Not quite, High Confessor." He said calmly, Gage, Richter, and the High Confessor all looking at him in confusion. "Atom has blessed me with one last great task. A task that I can only complete with the help of every sibling here today."

"Oh?" The High Confessor asked, raising where his eyebrow would be if he had any. "What task could possibly be so great?"

"Division." Ash breathed, the tone of his voice giving Gage the shivers. He sounded genuinely excited. Way too fucking excited. "I hold the power to detonate this great vessel of Atom's glow we stand atop but I can only do so if you think our siblings are prepared, really and truly prepared, to be divided by Atom's holy light. If **you** yourself are prepared."

Seeming to be taken in by Ash's conviction, the High Confessor let out a breath, his eyes wide and his skinny chest visibly moving with the pace of his heart even under all the layers he was wearing. "How will you do it? Has Atom guided you to the key?" He asked quietly, voice almost shaking.

Placing his hand on the High Confessor's shoulder, Ash squeezed lightly. "Do not question Atom's wisdom, brother, have faith instead." The High Confessor's breath hitched and Ash thought he might keel over laughing then and there.

"Of course. I will prepare our siblings. We are ready to be divided."

Nodding once, Ash released the High Confessor and left him to give the good? news to his flock, heading to the control panel inside the submarine. They were alone in the room, likely because everyone had already been gathered listening to the last sermon, so Ash finally allowed himself to let out a wicked little laugh. "Oh, this is going to be **amazing**." He breathed, crouching in front of the console that the launch key would get put in and examining it.

"Boss, you can't detonate this fuckin' submarine." Gage said, decidedly **much** less amused than Ash.

"Don't doubt me, Gage, I'm good at blowing shit up." Ash said, examining the hole the key went in and getting out the screwdriver he used to pick locks. With that and the light from his Pip-Boy, he started to poke around.

"No, I didn't mean I don't think you _can_, I meant please, for the love of caps, **don't**." Gage clarified, taking Ash by the wrist and pulling the hand with the screwdriver away from the hole he was prodding at. "This is one of those big risks I asked you specifically to stop takin'."

Frowning, Ash looked up at Gage. "It's been months since the last incident. Don't you trust me yet?" He asked softly, seeing clearly in Gage's face that he didn't.

"Not when it comes to detonatin' nuclear submarines, no." Gage admitted, sounding apologetic.

"Do you think I'd kill you if I ever got the chance, Gage?" Ash asked, taking his hand from Gage's hold and standing to look at him properly.

"Wh- no, of course not! I- oh." Gage cut off, seeing where Ash was going with his question.

"So why would I blow us both up? You're here with me and I'd never hurt you." Ash argued, his voice oddly gentle considering how excited he'd been just moments ago up top.

After a bit, Gage sighed deeply and ran a hand through his mohawk. "Damn it." He grumbled, tugging on his hair a bit in frustration before sighing again and motioning at the console angrily. "Alright, I- just this once, you hear me? No more playin' with nukes after this!"

Nodding once, Ash took the connecty bit from his Pip-Boy and started snaking it into the keyhole. "No more playing with nukes after this." He confirmed, feeling around blindly for a bit before he found the port he'd seen earlier. The connecty bit slipped in and clicked into place and Ash looked at his Pip-Boy, seeing that it had indeed linked up with the console. Grinning behind his respirator, Ash worked his magic, hacking into the submarine's console and setting it to detonate without the key after about five minutes of concentrated hacking effort. He quickly unplugged his Pip-Boy when the countdown from ten started and took Gage's hand, triggering the last set of coordinates he'd relayed to.

The flash came at six and by the time Ash and Gage arrived at Far Harbor, the blast was only two seconds away. The _boom_ was thunderous even from so far away and the ground even shook a little. The explosion was far enough away and muffled enough by the bunker and earth surrounding the detonating sub that it didn't hurt too badly to look at it and Ash squeezed Gage's hand as he did just that, his eyes bright and breath heavy.

After a bit, Ash looked to Gage, giving his hand another squeeze to get his attention. "Thank you, Gage." He said softly, taking his respirator off to smile gently at the older man.

Finding Ash's smile hard to resist, Gage sighed, removing his own respirator so he could return the smile. "You're welcome, ya crazy little shit."

Smiling more, Ash turned back to the explosion, which was nothing more than a large smoke column now. "I think that's the second largest explosion I've ever caused." He sighed softly, wincing and jerking his hand away from Gage when his grip got too tight.

"What?" Gage asked softly, slowly looking at Ash as the younger man pouted at him and rubbed his hand.

After a moment, Ash's pout turned into an impish grin. "Oh, did I not tell you about what I did to Vault 111?" Gage clenched his jaw and raised an eyebrow at him and Ash looked away, still grinning. "I moved a bunch of barrels full of oil and gunpowder into Vault 111 and then strapped like four mini nukes together and set them off with a stick of dynamite."

"Why?" Gage shouted, turning fully to look at Ash. "What was the point?"

Shrugging, Ash had to bite back a laugh as a vein in Gage's forehead popped out a little. "The dynamite was probably the worst part of that plan. The fuse wasn't long enough. I barely made it to the surface before the elevator came rushing up from the blast." Gage opened his mouth to say something but Ash kept going like he didn't notice. "Then I almost got crushed by the elevator when it came back down from getting blown into the sky. _Then_ I almost got swallowed by the sinkhole I created."

"How did you survive long enough to make it to Nuka-World!?" Gage demanded, glaring down at Ash.

At that, Ash paused, frowning a bit. "I genuinely don't know." He mumbled, frown growing more pronounced. "I mean, with all the shit I've gotten up to, it really doesn't make any sense."

Sighing, Gage decided to change the subject before he accidentally sent Ash spiraling. "Well, I guess I'm glad you made it this far." He said, wrapping an around Ash's shoulders.

"You guess?" Ash demanded, looking up at Gage and catching the impish grin he now wore. "Dick." He mumbled, eyes narrowed even as he was smiling.

"Ya like it." Gage mumbled back, leaning down to peck Ash on the lips.

Smiling even more, Ash nuzzled into Gage's side, sighing contently. "Yeah."

After a quick break for lunch, Ash and Gage set off again, deciding to explore. They found little of interest and no people besides the not-raiders, trappers, Ash presumed, remembering how the one Child of Atom had mentioned trappers, and ended up calling it a day by dinner time. After getting cleaned up and eating, Ash and Gage were relaxing in their room. Gage was reading on the couch and Ash was out on the balcony smoking.

As he tapped some ashes over the railing and exhaled a plume of smoke, Ash noticed one of the synths down below and felt a prickle of familiarity. He realized it was one of the synths he'd reclaimed from Acadia and suddenly remembered the exchange between H1-87 and that Acadia courser. The one where they'd used her designation and she'd called them Skye.

Humming, Ash put some commands into his Pip-Boy and walked into the room, snuffing out his cigarette in the ashtray near the balcony entrance. Gage had asked him to stop putting them out on his arm about a month ago and Ash had agreed, realizing once Gage gently told him so that it was an unhealthy habit. "It's bad enough ya smoke the damn things when you don't even like 'em, do you really need to be puttin' 'em out on yourself?" Ash supposed Gage was either persuasive or he was a sucker for those sharp hazel eyes, but the older man was really good at getting him to stop doing self-destructive things.

"H1-87 is coming in. Brace yourself." Ash warned, kissing Gage on the top of his head.

"Ugh." Gage mumbled, sinking into the couch a bit and pulling his magazine closer to his face.

Snickering softly, Ash shook his head and sat on the arm of the couch, waiting patiently until H1-87 walked into the room. "I have a question." Ash started, having learned to state his intent immediately or H1-87 would ask "you wanted to see me?" or "you called?" or something else along those lines.

"Very well." H1-87 said, hiding it as well as ever if they were annoyed.

"Yesterday that rogue courser called you Skye. What was that all about?" Ash asked, noticing how H1-87 grew tense and tilting his head a bit in interest.

"S8-49 and I were close once. She had convinced me one day to choose a human name for myself. I chose Skye." H1-87 replied stiffly, not looking at Ash but instead a spot just beyond him.

After a pause in which H1-87 only became more tense, Ash motioned for the courser to come closer. They seemed to brace themself before they did, stopping within Ash's reach. "Why are you so fucking tense?" Ash asked, frowning and poking H1-87's shoulder only to look even more confused when they almost flinched, the twitch only noticeable due to how close they were to Ash.

"Synths, coursers especially, aren't permitted to have human names. We only require a designation for identification." H1-87 replied, still extremely tense.

After staring at H1-87 for a bit, Ash cracked a grin and shook his head. "Look, I don't know if you're expecting me to be mad about it or something, but I don't give a shit that you picked out a name for yourself." He informed, eyes widening when H1-87 actually frowned at him. An emotion!

"But, we-"

"H1-87, would you like me to call you Skye from now on?" Ash interrupted, watching as H1-87 hesitated before nodding slowly.

"Affirmative." They said softly, still seeming nervous.

"Okay." Ash said, shaking his head again. "That's all I wanted to know. Dismissed, Skye." After visibly relaxing, Skye gave Ash a nod and left quickly. "Wow. That's the most emotion I've ever gotten out of them."

"Yeah." Gage muttered, sounding as surprised as Ash. A quiet moment passed as Ash fiddled with his Pip-Boy and then Gage spoke up again. "Still think synths ain't people?" He asked, his tone way too casual to actually be casual.

Smirking, Ash finalized and sent out the new code that would let the synths pick names for themselves before he fell back onto the couch, landing perfectly with his head propped against Gage's thigh. "Everyone deserves a name, Gage. I named the cat for crying out loud, why wouldn't I let the synths have names?"

Smiling a bit, Gage nodded, turning his attention to running his fingers through Ash's hair instead of reading his magazine. "Just checkin'."

"Mmhm." Ash hummed, unconvinced but closing his eyes and enjoying the petting. "I'm pretty sure you were just making sure I'm not becoming too morally upright."

Laughing guiltily, Gage gently tugged Ash's hair for busting him. "Well, I mean, if you suddenly decide you wanna be the good guy, I'm out of alot more than just a job."

Grunting lightly at the tug, Ash opened his eyes to smile at Gage. "Don't worry, I'm irredeemable and you're not going anywhere." He guaranteed, moving up to meet Gage halfway for a kiss. They parted after a moment and Ash hummed happily as Gage kept petting him. He maybe had a thing for hair. Playing with it and having his played with. It was one of the things he really liked Pickman for. When he was allowed to touch the man, he liked to pull his hair and it usually spurred Pickman on, so it worked out for both of them. Gage didn't have much hair to play with but Ash still liked touching it.

After some more comfortable silence, Gage lightly tugged on Ash's hair again, causing him to look up curiously. "How'd you get so good at actin'?" He asked, sounding genuinely curious. "I know it wasn't your natural charm that got those zealots to embrace fiery nuclear death cuz you ain't got no natural charm. You made 'em _believe_ you were a messenger from Atom. Hell, I almost believed it listenin' to you."

Flushing lightly, Ash looked away, a pleased smile playing his face. "I used to act in school."

"They taught you how to be a convincin' liar in pre-war schools?" Gage asked incredulously, eyebrow raised.

"No." Ash laughed, shaking his head and looking up at Gage again. "Well, actually, I guess they kinda did." He muttered, frowning a bit before shaking his head. "They used to make everyone chose a couple of classes that were more for fun than for learning. I guess so everyone didn't hate going as much. I chose drama, that's what it was called, because it was either that or band. Turns out I really like to act and I took it every year I could."

"Huh." Gage said, processing that for a bit before looking back down at Ash. "I heard the people who acted in pre-war flicks could cry on command." Ash nodded in confirmation and Gage tilted his head a bit. "Can you?"

"Yeah. You wanna see?" Ash asked, smiling when Gage nodded enthusiastically and sitting up. He turned so he was facing Gage and his face suddenly went from smiling to serious. Letting out a breath, Ash glanced up at Gage and then down and slightly away. His jaw clenched slightly and then trembled a bit as a single tear escaped his eye. Ash made a sniffling sound and wiped it away in clear frustration, swallowing thickly. More tears quickly followed behind the first and he covered his face, occasionally letting a small sob escape him as his shoulders shook lightly.

After a moment, Ash straightened up and flashed Gage a grin, his eyes slightly red from the tears and his cheeks wet but otherwise, you'd never be able to tell he'd just been "crying". "Holy shit." Gage muttered, decidedly impressed. That had been so real. Well, maybe not real, Gage had seen Ash cry, seen him break down, it looked nothing like that, but if he didn't know Ash as well as he did, he would've bought it. He would've bought as easily as those Atom nuts bought that he was one of them.

"Thank you, thank you." Ash said, bowing dramatically from his spot on the couch before scrubbing the lingering tear trails from his cheeks.

Laughing, Gage humored Ash and clapped a bit. "Did you ever have to cry in your class?"

"No." Ash said, shifting back around and laying down against Gage's thigh again. "I usually played the bad guy. They didn't do alot of crying."

"Yeah, that makes sense." Gage said, smiling down at Ash and returning his fingers to Ash's slowly thickening hair. It was getting healthier along with the rest of Ash and the frequent washing it underwent meant it was almost always so soft. They sat like that for awhile before Ash started to drift off and Gage gently convinced him to move their cuddling to the bed. Ash moved happily and the two raiders went to sleep in eachother's arms.


	27. Goodneighbor

Chapter Specific Characters: Porter Gage, Doctor Sun, Irma, Doctor Amari, John Hancock, Fahrenheit

* * *

The next morning Gage was woken up at what he could only assume was an ungodly hour by a yellow-orange light shining on his face. When he cracked his eye open, he realized it was Ash's eyes and grunted, Ash tensing up in his arms as he realized Gage was awake. "Were you watchin' me sleep, you fuckin' creep?" Gage muttered sleepily, frowning at Ash's guilty smile.

"Maybe." Ash muttered, having not realized his eyes were even glowing until Gage had moved and broken him from the trance he'd fallen into while indeed watching Gage sleep.

Grunting again, Gage put his hand on Ash's face and pushed him back a bit. "Your eyes are brighter than the sun." He grumbled, rolling over to face away from Ash.

Snorting, Ash hugged Gage from behind, holding him close even though he was smaller in every way than the older man. "Sorry, Mr. Grumpy." He muttered, snickering when Gage halfheartedly elbowed him.

"We're goin' t'see a doctor once your alarm goes off." Gage grumbled, smiling tiredly when Ash huffed.

"I thought I was the boss here." Ash mumbled, nuzzling into Gage and breathing in his smell.

"G'back t'sleep." Gage slurred sleepily, the sound of his heavy breathing shortly after lulling Ash back to sleep as well.

Several hours later, Ash's alarm went off and he and Gage got out of bed. After they were both dressed and were having breakfast, Gage looked over at Ash. "So, was you watchin' me sleep last night a dream or did that really happen?" He asked, sounding mildly amused and smiling when Ash choked on his stale Sugar Bombs and had to wash down the mouthful with a large swallow of Nuka-Cola. It was a wonder Ash hadn't gained more weight than he had with how bad his diet was. He ate three meals a day, and dinner at least was always substantial, but more often than not, Ash ate sugar, **lots** of sugar.

"No, uh, that- you dreamt that." Ash stammered, smiling shyly and looking away when Gage gave him a look that clearly said "really?". "Alright, so maybe I like to watch you sleep sometimes." He muttered, still looking away. "You wouldn't have ever known if it weren't for my traitor eyes."

"What got 'em glowin', anyhow?" Gage asked, finishing off his squirrel, corn, and potato hash.

"I was thinking about how happy I am that I didn't shoot you for being a dick when we first met." Ash admitted, smiling at Gage. "Then I got to thinking about how happy I am in general and I guess my eyes got up to "brighter than the sun" while my mind was wandering." He finished, mimicking Gage's accent on "brighter than the sun".

Snorting softly, Gage shook his head, his cheeks pink under his stubble. "You're the only person I know who could make "I'm glad I didn't shoot you when we met" into somethin' so damn sappy."

"I think you could manage it if you tried." Ash said, finishing his breakfast and pulling his backpack close. He started going through it, sorting out what he needed and didn't and setting aside what he didn't. That took another several minutes, Gage marveling the whole time about how much shit fit in Ash's pack, and then Ash and Gage were ready to head to Diamond City.

A relay later and Ash was walking up to the doctor in the Diamond City market. "Hey, doc." Ash greeted, ignoring how stiff the doctor became and hopping onto his surgery table. "I need your expert opinion on something." Before the doctor could respond, Ash removed his hat and got his eyes glowing. "I feel fine, but my eyes starting doing this recently and it's concerning my better half." Gage choked and the doctor glanced his way before stepping up to Ash.

"Tilt your head back for me." The doctor ordered, leaning in closer when Ash obeyed and humming in thought. "Where exactly were you when they started glowing? What were you doing?"

"I was standing in radioactive fog and killing giant mutated salamanders." Ash answered, snrking when the doctor looked at him incredulously. "I had a respirator mask on." He defended, shrugging.

"And no _other_ forms of radiation protection?" The doctor asked, leaning back.

"My clothes have a lead lining." The doctor's eyes went right for Ash's exposed midriff and he looked back up at Ash's glowing eyes, an eyebrow raised. Pursing his lips, Ash looked away. "Yeah, okay, good point." He muttered, switching some tabs on his Pip-Boy and showing it to the doctor. "This says my radiation levels are fine, though."

Examining the stats on the Pip-Boy, the doctor nodded slowly, stepping back. "And you said you feel fine?"

"Yeah. I've had radiation poisoning once or twice so I know what it feels like." Ash said, lowering his arm.

"I'm afraid this is beyond my area of expertise." The doctor sighed, looking slightly annoyed. "You should go see Doctor Amari in Goodneighbor. She has more experience with radiation exposure than I do. She may be able to help you."

"Ooh, a trip to Goodneighbor." Ash mumbled excitedly, nodding and getting off the surgery table. "Thanks, doc, I'll do that." He said, relaying back to Sanctum with Gage before the doctor could notice the pouch of caps Ash had left on his table. If his past experience with the doctor was anything to go off of, he'd try to convince him to keep the caps but it wasn't as though Ash needed them. He had more caps than he rightly knew what to do with what with so many settlements bringing in tribute and two towns under his control.

"What are we doin' back here?" Gage asked, frowning at Ash and raising an eyebrow when he started stripping.

"We're putting on clothes that are a little less recognizable." Ash replied, stripping down to his underwear before fishing a t-shirt and jeans from his bag.

"Why?"

"Because I don't want anyone in Goodneighbor to panic." Ash replied, shimmying into his jeans and fastening them before tugging his shirt on. "It's a shoot first, ask questions later kinda town. I stabbed someone there once and the guy who I assume was in charge told me I was gonna fit right in." After fiddling with his Pip-Boy a bit, Ash looked at Gage expectantly. "Strip."

Sighing, Gage stripped down to his underwear, a synth bringing Ash a bundle of clothes just as he was tugging his jeans down. Ash handed him some pretty basic-looking clothes and Gage put them on with little fuss but then Ash held out a simple black eyepatch. "Seriously? That too?" Gage asked, crossing his arms over his chest indignantly.

"Yes. That yellow crime against fashion, which you pull off and look very handsome in, is very recognizable." Ash argued, frowning at Gage and practically shoving the eyepatch into his arms so he could put on some less-fabulous shoes.

Sighing even more dramatically than before, Gage traded his usual eyepatch for the new one, the burn scars under his blind eye and on his brow visible with the smaller patch. Ash collected their clothes from the floor, including his boots and coat, and stuffed everything into his pack, the bag not looking any more full than it had before all the clothes had gone into it and making Gage purse his lips. He officially hated that stupid bag. When Ash started to put his mask back on, Gage snatched it from him and held it out of his reach. "Think that might be a little too recognizable. A one-eyed man and a man with a mask? Sounds an awful lot like that raider duo I been hearin' about." He said, grinning as Ash glared at him.

Much to Gage's surprise, Ash's glare softened after a bit and he nodded. "Good point." He muttered, taking the mask back and putting it in his jeans' pocket. "Guess I'll just have to risk people thinking you're my dad instead of my boyfriend."

"You'll live." Gage replied, looking Ash over and appreciating the view. "Just keep tellin' everyone in the Commonwealth that I'm your "better half" and the news'll spread eventually."

"You liked it." Ash retorted, slinging his pack over his shoulder and grabbing Gage's hand before triggering the relay that would take them to a bit of street that Ash hoped wasn't within view of Goodneighbor's wall. When they came out, they caught the attention of some super mutants who didn't know what they were getting themselves into, but the wall surrounding Goodneighbor was indeed out of sight.

Using his Pip-Boy to orient himself, Ash led the way to Goodneighbor's "gate", smiling happily as soon as he'd stepped through. He'd missed the seedy little town and was happy as could be to find it hadn't lost any of it's sleazy charm since he'd been away. Taking a deep breath of the less-than-pleasant air, like cigarette smoke with a hint of piss and splashed with old trash, Ash walked further into the town with Gage trailing close behind.

"Always liked Goodneighbor." Gage mumbled, smiling a bit himself. "Haven't been in too damn long, but it hasn't changed even a little."

"Don't suppose you know where Dr. Amari is then, do you?" Ash asked, looking around the town. "Cuz none of these buildings say "hospital" on them."

"Last time I was here the only doctor in town operated outta the Memory Den but that was years ago." Gage replied, pointing the building out to Ash.

"Good place to start." Ash said, walking into the Memory Den and looking around at all the- chairs? around the room.

A woman in a dress that would be lovely if it weren't the gaudiest shade of red ever sat up from the couch, that would be fabulous if not for the same reason, that she'd been lounging on when she noticed Ash and Gage. "Oh, a two-for-one." She said excitedly, getting up and meeting the two men halfway with a grin on her lips. "Don't tell me I get the pleasure of seein' what kinda skeletons **both** you handsome boys have rattlin' around in your closets?" When Ash and Gage shared a look, the woman laughed and waved her hand at them "Just teasin', you two. Goodness. C'mon now, what can I do for y'all?"

"Right." Ash said, trying to look neutral since he didn't have his mask to hide his face and being a dick, as good as it felt, wasn't going to get him anywhere quickly. "We're here for Dr. Amari."

Pouting a bit, the woman sighed dramatically and motioned behind herself. "She's just down those stairs over there, sugar."

"Thanks." Ash muttered unconvincingly, walking past the woman and heading down the stairs she'd indicated.

Considering it was the wasteland, the office downstairs was pretty nice. When the woman in the white lab coat, Amari, presumably, noticed them, she set down the file she'd been looking at and stood from the stool she'd been sitting on. "Hello. Can I help you?" She asked, her professional tone and odd accent a massive difference from the overly-flirtatious tone and southern drawl of the woman upstairs.

"The doctor in Diamond City said you might have better luck figuring out what's causing my eyes to do this." Ash said, making his eyes glow as Amari looked on, neutrally at first and then in wide-eyed surprise.

"Did Dr. Sun tell you **why** he thought I'd be more qualified?" She asked, looking uncertain.

"Apparently whatever's going on with my eyes has something to do with me coming into contact with radioactive fog." Ash said blandly, shrugging. "At least, that's when it all started, so he figured that's what caused it."

"Ah, I see." Amari said, nodding. "Yes, alright. That makes sense." She turned and motioned behind herself to a chair. "Take a seat, please, I have some tests I can run."

Glancing at Gage, who was leaning casually against a cabinet, Ash sighed and sat down. This all felt too normal. Like a day in his old life. He liked raiding a whole lot better than doctor visits. Before Ash could get too fidgety, Amari returned with two vials. One held a brown liquid and the other held a glowing green liquid. Ash eyed the green one in particular suspiciously.

"Hold out your hand." Amari ordered, dripping a drop of the brown liquid onto Ash's hand once it was outstretched. "How does that feel?"

"Like slightly too-thick water." Ash said, shrugging and lowering his hand when Amari wiped the drop off with a rag.

"Alright. Raise the other hand now." Amari said, holding Ash's hand steady this time and dripping a drop of the green liquid on. Ash hissed and tried to jerk his hand away, but Amari quickly swiped the rag over his hand and the burn was gone instantly along with the drop. "I take it that one burned?"

"No shit." Ash grumbled, glaring petulantly at Amari and rubbing his hand despite it not burning anymore.

Raising an eyebrow at Ash, Amari decided to let that slip and set the vials down. "Well, we can rule out ghoulification." She said, picking up a clipboard and scribbling some notes down. "Which makes sense, I suppose, I've never seen a ghoul with glowing eyes." Amari muttered that part more to herself as she looked over her clipboard. "How long were you exposed to the fog?" She asked, looking up from her clipboard at Ash.

"I dunno, like, ten hours total, maybe." Ash answered, eyes roaming the office and leg shaking a bit.

"And you didn't take in any significant radiation from all that?"

"Not according to my Pip-Boy." Ash said, holding his arm up when Amari came over with the clear intention of taking a look.

"Interesting." She muttered, scribbling down more notes as Ash lowered his arm. "Have you been in contact with any radiation besides the fog since your eyes started glowing?"

"Yeah."

"But still nothing significant enough to warrant using a Rad-Away?" Amari asked, glancing up at Ash.

"Well, my geiger counter clicked a couple times but it was mostly quiet, so no, not really." Ash answered, leg full-on bouncing now as he picked at the skin of his arm where his burn scabs used to be. Suddenly there was a warm hand on Ash's shoulder and he jolted as if electrocuted, looking back in surprise to see Gage standing behind him, looking concerned. The older man gave Ash's shoulder a squeeze and Ash let out a breath, looking back at Amari and finding it easier to not fidget now. He reached up and laid his hand over Gage's as Amari was looking up to ask another question.

She raised an eyebrow at them, but kept whatever was going through her head to herself. "Well, I do have one more test I can run, but you may find it uncomfortable." Amari said, getting a syringe from a first aid kit on a counter. "I'll need to draw some blood."

In answer, Ash simply stretched out his arm and watched as Amari drew a bit of blood from the first vein that looked promising. She walked over to a microscope and immediately began to examine the blood, looking to some notes on the counter and mumbling to herself occasionally in between looking into the microscope.

Sighing softly, Ash looked up at Gage, his head fully craned back in order to do so. "This is your fault." He muttered, sounding tired. "I was content to just let my eyes glow, but _no_, there might be something wrong, we have to see a doctor." He said, voice mocking for everything after "no".

Smirking, Gage leaned over and pecked Ash's lips. "Thank you for doin' this for me." He murmured, loving how he could actually see Ash's face turning red since his mask wasn't in the way.

Pouting, Ash straightened back up and started grumbling to himself, shutting up when Amari stood and came back over, still looking at her clipboard. "So, am I dying?" Ash asked, making Amari frown and feeling Gage's disapproval via the smack to the back of his head.

"Not any faster than the rest of us from what I can tell." Amari answered, keeping up her professional frown even when Ash muttered a "damn" and Gage smacked him again, getting a giggle from the grouchy teen. "From what I can tell, the glow is a minor radiation mutation." Amari explained, looking down at her notes in time to miss Ash's amused grin as he mouthed "radiation mutation". "It seems to be benign, but I'd be surprised if it was the only mutation you ended up with." She said, looking back up to find Ash's neutral face. "So if anything else odd springs up, you may want to come see me again. In the meantime, avoiding radiation as much as you can or flushing your system with a Rad-Away every now and again would probably be your best bet to avoid further, more drastic mutations."

"Huh." Ash muttered, processing that for a bit before looking up at Gage. "So, remember when I said cosmetic surgery still existing was the weirdest thing I'd heard since thawing out? I think this tops that."

Shaking his head, Gage forced Ash's head upright and looked at Amari. "Your sure it ain't dangerous, doc?" He asked, tone considerably more polite than Ash's.

"As far as I can tell." Amari said, giving a nod. "Keep an eye on him, though. Don't let him go too long without another visit if his eyes start to hurt or if something else comes up."

While Ash gaped at being talked about like he was A. not there, and B. a stubborn child, Gage nodded. "Sure thing, doc."

Huffing, Ash got up from the chair, leaving another pouch of caps in his wake. "Thanks, doc." He muttered, leaving with Gage before Amari could reply. Once they were outside, Ash pulled Gage into a nearby ally and pushed him against the wall, frowning at him. "I don't appreciate being discussed like I'm your kid." He grumbled, the slight upward curve of his lips letting Gage know he wasn't really in trouble.

"Well, maybe if you behaved like an adult." Gage mumbled, grinning when Ash looked shocked and offended.

"Listen here, you s-" Ash was cut off as the sound of a gun cocking nearby drew his and Gage's attention.

"Mayor Hancock has requested a meetin' wit' you two." A ghoul in a three-piece suit and fedora said, a machine gun in his hands.

"Shit. I guess they recognized us." Ash muttered, sighing and walking forward when the ghoul motioned for him to do so. Another ghoul guarding a door motioned them forward and then they were being ushered up a winding staircase and into a sitting room of sorts. The ghoul in the red coat from Ash's first visit was there, his feet propped up on a coffee table littered with drugs. There was also a woman with a minigun nearby. Neither of them looked very pleased.

"Have a seat." The ghoul, Mayor Hancock presumably, said, motioning at the couch across from him.

Plopping down, Ash leaned back immediately, looking a mix of unimpressed and annoyed. Gage sat beside him, considerably more tense. For awhile nobody said anything as Ash and Hancock stared eachother down but then Hancock grinned. Not a friendly grin, more like a grin that was meant to show that he was relaxed, a show of dominance, that he was in control.

"Ya got alot of nerve waltzing into Goodneighbor." He said, casually picking up a small switch that had been embedded in the table and twirling it around in his hand. "What, didja think just cuz you changed up your costume, no one would recognize you?"

"Works in the comic books." Ash deadpanned, sounding as unimpressed as he looked.

Sneering, Hancock tilted his head a bit. "Too bad this is real life, huh, raider?"

"Overboss, actually." Ash said, suddenly smirking and crossing one leg over the other at the knee, his eyes starting to glow. "I was under the impression you already knew that."

Eyes narrowing, Hancock stared at Ash for a bit before a sudden look of recognition dawned on his face. "You're that guy who offed Finn." He said, huffing out a laugh and looking almost impressed. "Movin' on up in the world, huh? Or down, more like, since you shacked up with raiders." Hancock paused, as if thinking. "I guess the king of trash is still a king though, right? Better than nothin'."

"Look, we can sit here all day comparing our dicks and trying to figure out whose trash kingdom stinks the least, but I actually got shit to do, so if you could get to the part where you tell me why you interrupted what was about to be some steamy public wall-sex, that would be great." Ash said, looking over with the rest of the room as Gage choked.

"Sorry." He muttered, not looking at anyone in particular, his face pink. "Just got a sudden hunk of regret caught in my throat."

Both Ash and Hancock snorted and then looked at eachother in surprise. Against all odds, they both started laughing, Hancock calming down first. "What the fuck?" He huffed out, shaking his head. "How the hell did you two conquer half the Commonwealth?"

"Would you believe me if I said it was with the power of love?" Ash asked, grinning.

Scoffing, Hancock shook his head. "It's Ash, right? I don't think we were ever formally introduced. I'm Mayor Hancock." He said, motioning to himself and then the woman behind him. "This is my right-hand woman Fahrenheit."

"Gage." Ash said, motioning at the man beside him. "My better half." Gage choked again and actually elbowed Ash which only made the teen grin more.

Shaking his head again, Hancock tilted his head, still smiling. "What the fuck are you doing in my town?"

"I came here to see Dr. Amari." Ash said, motioning at his eyes. "It might surprise you to learn this alluring glow wasn't something I got on purpose."

"Huh." Hancock huffed, eyeing Ash for a moment before nodding like that checked out. Before he could say anything else, Ash cut in, a massive, amused grin on his face and his eyes glowing brightly.

"What, were you nervous that I'm here casing Goodneighbor or some shit?" When Hancock's eyes narrowed, Ash laughed. "You were!" Rolling his eyes, Ash shook his head and got comfy, draping one arm lazily across the back of the couch, the other hanging off over the arm. "Look, I don't case places before I march on 'em, I just go for it. If I was here for Goodneighbor, I would've relayed in with a handful of synths at my back and declared myself. I'm dramatic like that." He motioned at himself with the arm draped over the couch, replacing it once he was done. "And I sure as hell wouldn't do it dressed like this. I have a reputation to uphold, you know."

After glaring at Ash for a bit, Hancock nodded again and glanced away, pretending to be interested in the far wall. "Yeah, I've heard about your reputation. Heard about what you did to Diamond City, too." He said, looking down at the table and picking up a tin of Mentats. Hancock rattled it a bit before taking out two pills and placing them on his tongue. "Heard you started crackin' heads when people kicked up a stink about you welcoming the ghouls back with open arms."

"_And?_" Ash asked when Hancock was quiet for a bit. "What, are you threatened that Goodneighbor isn't the only safe place for ghouls to stay anymore?"

"Maybe it's more like you're makin' Goodneighbor look bad." Hancock replied, toying with the tin of Mentats like he'd been toying with the knife.

There was another short stretch of silence before Ash sat up straight, brow furrowed. "This was **not** the way to ask for an alliance." He said, confused and annoyed. "Like, literally any other way would've worked better. I almost called in my synths. I have the command ready to go." Ash brandished his left arm as if to emphasize his point. "I was ready to shoot you!"

"Well, this didn't exactly start as that." Hancock said, smiling a bit despite Ash's threats. "This started as me needin' to know why there was a vicious raider boss tryin' to be all incognito in my town."

Shaking his head, Ash flopped back against the couch. "So, you want the D.C. treatment, then? You get a synth security force to keep your people safe and I get a cut of the profits from your stores? You stay a figurehead the people can look up to and I secretly own you?" Hancock ruffled at Ash's phrasing and Gage, who had just started to relax, tensed back up.

"Somethin' like that." Hancock grumbled, sighing and laying his head back. "Times are changin'. Ain't no denyin' you've got an iron-grip on the 'Wealth. Wouldn't be doin' myself **or** Goodneighbor any favors to pretend it ain't in my best interest to roll over for you."

"Sounds like a deal to me." Ash said, erasing the command he really did have ready to go and starting up some new ones. "You'll get a security force and all the perks that come with me owning your town and I'll make a few shiny caps and sleep a little easier at night knowing my favorite town is safe and sound."

Snorting, Hancock looked at Ash again, looking amused. "That easy, huh? Not even gonna make me ask nice for it?" When Ash looked startled and surprised, Hancock smirked at him. "I already told ya I've heard about your reputation. Word travels faster than you'd think in the Commonwealth. 'Specially when you got the connections I do."

Huffing softly, Ash entered the commands he'd been typing. "No, I'm not gonna make you ask me nicely for it." He grumbled, standing and slinging his pack over his shoulder before he started fiddling with his Pip-Boy some more. "Despite my crack about owning you, this situation is mutually beneficial enough that you're really more of a business partner than anything." Sighing, Ash stopped messing with his Pip-Boy. "I take it we're done here, _Mr. Mayor?_ I wasn't joking about having shit to do today."

Huffing out a disbelieving laugh, Hancock waved a hand at Ash. "Sure thing, boss man, wouldn't wanna hold you up from your very important raiding or whatever." He said sarcastically, probably pushing his luck but finding that Ash wasn't nearly as threatening as the rumors made him out to be.

Then Ash was hovering over him, one foot on the couch next to his hip, the other on the floor on the opposite side so he was sort of straddling him while still standing, one hand on the side of the couch by his head, and the other pressing the tip of Damnation to the soft bit of flesh where throat met jaw under his chin. Every gun in the room was now aimed at Ash, but his bright eyes were firmly on Hancock. "That's Overboss to you. You should get used to saying it, I don't handle disrespect well." When Hancock tried to respond, Ash pressed the knife more firmly into his throat to keep him quiet, barely breaking the skin and drawing a drop of blood. "Don't. Just practice. You can show me how good you've gotten at saying it next time."

Moving back, Ash triggered the relay he'd set up and he and Gage were zapped away before anything else could happen. When the brief, flash-induced blindness of relaying cleared, Ash turned and noticed that Gage was frowning in confusion instead of the anger or annoyance he'd been expecting. "What's with the face?" He asked, raising a curious eyebrow as he sheathed Damnation.

"Always thought we had to be touchin' for you to relay with me." Gage muttered, eye narrowing when Ash was quiet for too long.

"I technically never said that." Ash said quickly, moving away as Gage swiped at him and giggling as he took off up the stairs, Gage hot on his heels. "Not my fault you never asked!"

Ash was quick and agile, but Gage's legs were longer so he was able to take the stairs a few at a time in order to make up the distance. Catching Ash's arm on a landing, Gage spun the smaller man around so they were facing and pulled him close, a grin playing his lips. "You just wanted to be touchin' me all this time, didn't you?"

"Not at first." Ash said, smiling and squirming just so Gage would tighten his hold on him. For some reason, he liked when Gage held him tight. It seemed like the sort of thing that would trigger his claustrophobia, but it never did, only succeeding in making him feel safe. Once Ash felt constricted enough, he gave up and laid his head on Gage's shoulder. "I was reading up on how the relay works one day and I found out it takes a few milliseconds longer for the relay to lock onto and transport several small objects than one large one. If we were touching, the machine counted us as one object and it relayed us quicker."

"By milliseconds!" Gage said, leaning in and nipping at Ash's neck when he tried to shy away. "I don't even know what a millisecond is, but it doesn't sound like the kinda thing that needs to be shaved down more." When Ash started to laugh, Gage nipped his neck again. "You had me holdin' your damn hand way before I even tolerated your crazy little ass let alone liked you." He grumbled, trying to sound mad even though he was sure Ash could feel his grin against his neck.

"You never complained." Ash pointed out, managing to wriggle enough that he was able to catch Gage's lips in a kiss. Much to Ash's delight, Gage sighed happily into the kiss and returned it.

Once they parted for air, Gage looked down at Ash with a somewhat more serious expression. "You're really bad at negotiatin', by the way. I thought for sure your smart mouth was gonna get us shot."

"One of these days you'll learn to trust your Overboss." Ash quipped back, smirking. His expression quickly morphed into a playful smile as Gage raised an eyebrow at him and leaned back down. Ash tried to squirm away but Gage simply kept his hold firm and nipped his neck again, getting a soft sound from Ash. While Gage sucked a hickey onto his neck, Ash managed to get his hands free and wrapped them around the taller man's neck, sighing lightly from the attention.

"For real, though." Gage mumbled against Ash's neck, lightly kissing the bruise he'd just left. "Next time I do the talkin'."

"We'll see." Ash mumbled, laughing when Gage pulled back to glare down at him. His expression softened almost instantly and for a bit, they just looked at eachother. "We should do something fun." Ash said softly, looking at all the individual green flecks in Gage's eye. There was just enough of them to perfectly speckle the light brown of the rest of his iris, making it appear either fully green or fully brown depending on the light and if you didn't look close enough.

"Jesus." Gage mumbled, squinting his eye a bit. "They almost hurt to look at, they're so bright." Ash's eyes were practically lighting up his whole face and they sort of pulsed when Ash started to blush. As Ash buried his face in his neck, Gage chuckled softly. "Is all that glowin' for me again, darlin'?" He asked softly, smiling more when Ash hugged him tighter.

"Yeah." Ash mumbled against Gage's neck, trying hard not to think about how desperately and completely in love he felt since it made his chest feel tight. It was overwhelming and Ash couldn't help but wonder if there was something wrong with him. If this was what actual love felt like, the kind of love that every couple felt, or if there was something wrong with his brain that made him extra attached. Surely normal people didn't just live their lives feeling like _this_ all the time? Or maybe they did. Maybe that's why people cried during funerals and fell apart after break-ups. Crying and falling apart didn't feel appropriate for anything less than this incredible, almost sickening feeling that Ash simultaneously couldn't get enough of and desperately avoided dwelling on.

"Now, what kinda fun did you have in mind, darlin'?" Gage asked softly, the deep rumble of his voice wiping away everything in Ash's brain for a minute before he came back to himself.

"I heard of an old museum not too long ago that's supposed to be dangerous." Ash said, pulling back to look up at Gage. "We should go see why."

"That don't sound fun." Gage said, smiling down at Ash despite his assertion.

"It's a museum of witchcraft." Ash said, his tone implying he was tying to tempt Gage with that information though Gage looked thoroughly untempted.

"And?" Gage asked, raising an eyebrow at Ash.

"Do you know what they did to witches back in the day that was worth dedicating a museum to?"

"Can't say I do."

"They used to tie up convicted witches and burn them at the stake." Ash said, grinning when Gage looked at him like he was crazy. "_Which means_ there's probably still some old rope and shit left. If we don't find anything interesting, I could always tie you up and fuck you against a bonfire display or something. I still want my steamy wall sex, after all."

Now it was Gage's turn to blush darkly. After his brain rebooted, which took enough time for Ash to start grinning like a little shit, Gage shook his head, chuckling despite himself. "Y'know, I'm pretty sure there's a rule somewhere about havin' so much nasty little freak packed into one person."

Grinning more, Ash pulled away from Gage and started to get dressed in his usual outfit. Gage followed his lead and Ash started looking around on his map for about where he thought the museum might be once he was dressed. "Good thing raiders don't follow rules well." He said once he'd found a good spot, holding his hand out to Gage.

Sighing, Gage took Ash's hand. "Yeah, good thing." He muttered, still smiling as Ash triggered the relay and they were whisked away to their next adventure.


	28. Museums and Airships

Chapter Specific Characters: Porter Gage, Skye

Chapter Specific Tags/Warnings: explicit cuddles, nyctophobia, decaying corpses, crying

* * *

As it turned out, Ash didn't know where Salem was. It took a few hours of walking from where he and Gage had been relayed in to find the museum and by then, the sun was starting to set and the air was only getting colder. To make matters worse, or actually better for Ash because he was rather fond of spooky shit, the front doors to the museum wouldn't open, leaving the only entrance being a door to the basement around the side of the building with a mutilated corpse laying nearby.

"I told you this would be fun, Gage." Ash said, nudging a few pieces of the corpse around before spotting a holotape among the remains.

"When it comes to killin', I have fun. When it comes to stealin', I have fun. When it comes to raidin' and conquerin' and all the other shit we do together, I have fun." Gage said, stepping up beside Ash and pointing down at the corpse. "**This** doesn't look fun. **This** looks like the kinda shit you and Dixie might get up to together."

Locking eyes with Gage, Ash put the holotape into his Pip-Boy and pushed play, holding one finger up to his lips as he listened to it. "Jeffries! Lee got the recorder working!" Came the excited voice of a woman, maybe the one they were standing above. "So this the sorta detail ya had in mind when you signed up for the Gunners? Hauling luggage from Lynn Woods for some robot butler? W-what was his name? Welliton? Wellingham?"

"Not now, Private. Where's Connors? He's not at his post." A man said, his gruff voice making Ash wrinkle his nose a bit. Gunners were only a step up from the Brotherhood as far as he was concerned and since all military jargon sounded the same, it was like being aboard the Prydwen all over again. Now there was a thought. Ash made a mental note to check on the Prydwen at some point, tuning back into the holotape he'd only been half listening to while he thought.

"-ound some tracks, wanted to check 'em out. Private Martin-" The woman replied, her tone serious before she was cut off by the man.

"Tracks? What track- what the hell is that?" The man said, Ash's excitement rekindling at the tone. Like an over-testosteroned, _I refuse to show fear cuz I'm __**tough**__ and a __**man**_ kind of panic.

"Oh my- C-Connors? Where-where's the rest of him!?" A roar so loud it peaked the speakers on his Pip-Boy sounded and at that, Ash full-on grinned at Gage, practically bouncing in excitement. Gage rolled his eye, sighing.

"Jesus. It found us. Sergeant Lee, grab the case! Do not let that thing out of your sight! Everyone inside the museum! Now!" The man shouted, the sound of running evident under the voices.

"Major! Major, what found us!" The woman shouted, the tape cutting off abruptly after that.

"Holy shit, this is gonna be fun." Ash said, tossing the tape aside and practically flinging open the basement doors.

"We're really headin' in after whatever that was? It sounded big and it sounded angry." Gage said, following after Ash despite his protests.

"We can h-" Ash was cut off by loud footsteps and soft growling above them, the weight of whatever was stomping around up there making dust fall from the ceiling. "-handle it." He finished, quickly taking off his Pip-Boy and giving it to Gage. "Here, it's dark down here."

Sighing softly, Gage snapped on Ash's Pip-Boy and flipped the light on, the sense of dread that had been settling in his gut dissipating almost instantly. "Alright, fine." He muttered, drawing his gun. "But don't get too far ahead of me, alright?"

"Deal." Ash said, trying to walk quietly across the concrete floor and stopping when some pieces of corpse fell from a hole in the ceiling. There was some chomping and snarling and then the corpse started to move, whatever was up there eating it dragging it further into the room. After listening to the wet chomping and crunching of the corpse being devoured for a bit, Ash moved past the hole and into the next section, which appeared to be a classroom of sorts.

Some stomping above made Ash pause and he tilted his head down to avoid getting dust in his eyes as the stomping moved above him. It carried on into the hall outside the classroom and Ash followed it until he had to pick which direction he was going to go in, the path forward blocked by debris.

Gasping suddenly, Ash ran into the room on the right, Gage following after him. "What?" Gage asked, concerned until Ash held up a yardstick like it was a trophy. "What the fuck?"

"Ever been hit with one of these, love?" Ash asked, grinning at the older man and swinging it down to catch it in his hand when Gage groaned and started massaging the bridge of his nose. "I'm taking this."

"Look, boss, I ain't into that." Gage sighed, cringing when the building creaked around them and a deep, rumbling growl came from somewhere above them. He'd never been good with this spooky shit. Especially not when there was something actually dangerous causing the spooky shit.

"Well, you can hit me with it, then." Ash said, grinning and bending over one of the desks nearby. "Doesn't that sound nice? You could punish me for making you come down here." He wiggled his hips when Gage started blushing and laughed when Gage grabbed him by the back of his coat and straightened him up.

"Y'know what sounds nice? Gettin' the hell outta this fuckin' museum." Gage grumbled, taking the yardstick from Ash and tossing it aside.

Sighing dramatically, Ash left the room, heading into the next room and then beyond where a corpse suddenly fell from a hole in the ceiling. Forgetting all about Gage being a party pooper, Ash grinned and came closer, seeing two more corpses near the hole. Just as Ash went to pass the corpses, there was a growl from above and some more stomping and dust. Ash practically ran to the stairs that would take him to the upper level and was downright giddy as they shook a bit from the stomping being nearby.

The only thing separating Ash and Gage from whatever was now on the same floor as them was a door. Drawing Sin Cannon, Ash crept towards the door and nudged it open, getting greeted by another corpse. Continuing on, Ash passed up a scene of a witch being burned at the stake and then passed another scene of a jury deciding the fate of a supposed witch. As he crept towards a witch being hung, he got his first glimpse of what had been stomping around and heard Gage swear behind him.

The deathclaw roared at Ash and Gage and charged immediately, Ash jumping out of the way and shooting at the deathclaw's side. He heard the sound of Gage's gun going off from a distance and kept shooting. The deathclaw quickly decided to focus its attention on Ash because he was closer, but Ash was fast and the deathclaw was bleeding. Ash got grazed by the beast's claws twice, once on his stomach and once on his thigh, but he and Gage managed to kill it before it could kill them.

Laughing in exhilaration, Ash looked down at his injuries. They were bleeding quite a bit, but they didn't hurt much. That was probably only thanks to the adrenaline though and Ash quickly shot up with a stimpak as Gage came over.

"Well, that was excitin', I guess." Gage muttered, huffing softly and offering Ash a grin. "You alright, darlin'?"

"Wow, killing really **does** lift your mood." Ash said, ignoring the question in favor of staring at the almost completely relaxed man before him.

Rolling his eye, Gage put his gun away. "I just didn't like not knowin' what was stompin' around up here. Now it's dead and we ain't gotta worry about it anymore."

"_Riiight_." Ash replied, laughing when Gage shoved him. Mid-laugh, Ash gasped and ran past the dead deathclaw to the hanging scene it was laying in front of. Getting the rope off the tree and mannequin was easy enough and Ash turned to Gage with his prize once he had it. "See? I told you there'd be rope."

After a bit, Gage averted his gaze. "You can keep that." He muttered, sighing and walking away when Ash whooped and slung off his pack to shove the rope inside. "Shit."

Freezing, Ash looked up. He didn't like that tone. Slinging his pack back on, Ash hurried over to where Gage was looking into a room at the end of the hall. "What is it?" He asked, freezing when he spotted what Gage was looking at. Eggs. All of them cracked. All but one. Letting out a breath, Ash's attention was caught by another holotape in the hand of one of the corpses in the room. Bending down, Ash picked up the tape and played it.

"A nest fulla deathclaw eggs. A dozen, maybe more, smashed to bits. Except- this one." A man's voice said. He sounded hurt, like every word was a pain to force out. "No wonder they wouldn't tell us what was in that case." His breath rattled like there was liquid in his lungs, probably blood. "If I'd known, I would've personally told the gunner bosses and that glorified liquor cabinet Wellingham to take those Diamond City caps and stuff 'em. Guess we know why that deathclaw tracked us all the way from Lynn Woods now." He laughed, a dry, mirthless laugh. "We stole her damn kids." His voice was shaky there, like he'd been holding back tears.

"Christ. Maybe-maybe if we'd just returned the eggs-" A snarl cut the man off and Ash looked out to the deathclaw now laying dead. "Oh, hey, mama. You lookin' for this?" He asked, sounding amused before the tape cut off.

"Fuck." Ash breathed, dropping the tape once it ended and he'd ejected it.

"What do we do with it?" Gage asked, his brow furrowed.

Stepping forward, Ash gently took the egg, finding it was warm. "I think it's alive." He muttered, his suspicion confirmed when the egg shook a bit. "Gage, it's still alive."

Coming closer, Gage placed his hand on the egg and let out a breath when it shook lightly. "Boss, I'm-I'm about to ask somethin' completely out of character for me." He warned, looking over at Ash's glowing eyes. "Can we keep it?"

Later on that night, Ash and Gage were sitting next to a carefully put together nest in their room and watching over the egg they'd brought to Sanctum. Nubs was exploring the nest and Ash couldn't help but smile. "That's your new sibling." He said, holding Gage's hand when the older man laced their fingers together. Nubs didn't understand, of course, but she did apparently like how warm the egg and nest both were because she curled up near the egg and decided that was a good spot for a nap.

Smiling more, Ash laid his head on Gage's shoulder. "I can't believe this was your idea."

"I'd say I can't believe you said yes, but I'd be lyin'." Gage replied, laying his head on Ash's and smiling just as much as he was. "I always wanted one of these. I don't know how tryin' to train it to not eat us'll actually go, but I've always wanted to try."

"We'll have to make sure it's never hungry or it might eat Nubs." Ash muttered, glancing at his cat before his eyes went back to the egg.

"Fuck, I hope this works." Gage breathed, squeezing Ash's hand.

It made Ash's heart flutter to hear Gage so excited about something and he turned his head to kiss his cheek. "We're gonna make it work." He promised, pecking Gage's lips when he turned his head for a kiss. "What are we gonna name it?"

Flushing, Gage looked away. "Well, uh, I **do** have an idea." He muttered, glancing over when Ash squeezed his hand to find the teen looking excited. He huffed out a laugh, looking away again. "I was thinkin' Daisy." When Ash didn't say anything, Gage looked over and found he looked perplexed. "What?"

"I was- I was expecting something more- _raidery_, I guess." Ash muttered, quickly wrapping his arms around Gage when he started to flush again. "I love it, though. We'll call our new pet murder-lizard Daisy."

"Y'sure?" Gage asked, wrapping his arms around Ash's waist.

"I'm sure. I love it." Ash said, giving a nod. "One question. Why?"

Snorting, Gage shook his head, looking down at Ash and offering him a shrug. "I like deathclaws, I like daisies, Daisy the deathclaw."

A slow smile spread across Ash's face and it made Gage flush again. "That's the cutest reason for anything I've ever heard in my life." He practically whispered, sounding absolutely delighted.

"I ain't cute! I'm a raider! Raiders ain't cute!" Gage protested, face fully flushed as he glared down at Ash.

"You want to name our new pet murder-lizard Daisy. "I'm a raider" isn't gonna help you." Ash replied, mimicking Gage's accent as he gave the older man a blank expression.

"Lookit here, wiseass, I'm gettin' real sick of you copyin' my accent." Gage growled playfully, poking Ash's nose.

"Do something about it then." Ash replied smugly, letting Gage go to sit up properly.

Eye narrowing, Gage eyed Ash for a moment before speaking. "Y'know I'm a whole hell of alot bigger than you, right?"

"Yeah. But I'm quick and I fight dirty." Ash replied, looking quite sure of his chances, smug grin still in place.

"Fight- I'm a **raider**! Fightin' dirty is what raiders **do**!" Gage argued, narrowing his eye again when Ash snorted at him.

"Daisy the deathclaw. "I'm a raider" isn't going to help you tonight." Ash replied easily, mimicking Gage's accent again.

"Alright! That does it!" Gage declared, pouncing on Ash and rolling around with him very briefly before getting him pinned beneath him. Opening his mouth, Gage started to gloat but all that came out was a surprised moan and Ash arched his back and bumped their crotches together forcefully. His grip faltered just enough that Ash was able to switch their positions, now straddling Gage's hips and pinning his hands beside his head, face _still_ quite smug.

"Damn, boss." Gage breathed, impressed and more than a little turned on. "You weren't kiddin' when you said you fight dirty."

"I could fight dirtier." Ash purred, lacing their fingers together and giving Gage's hands a squeeze.

"Any dirtier and I might not wanna stop fightin'." Gage replied, smirking and bucking his own hips up.

"Promise?" Ash asked, leaning forward so his lips were nearly touching Gage's.

"You bet, darlin'." Gage breathed, closing the distance between them.

About an hour later, Gage was in the bathroom taking a shower and Ash was sprawled out on the floor, entering a few commands into his Pip-Boy. Ash knew precious few things about what Gage liked outside of a somewhat professional context. He knew he liked reading and that his favorite alcohol was post-war Mojave tequila that was hard to come by. He now knew Gage liked deathclaws, maybe lizards in general, and daisies, maybe flowers in general. Gage didn't know it, but Ash locked all the information he got about him away in his head for later use.

According to the commands Ash was entering into his Pip-Boy, there were about to be some synths assigned to flower-hunting. There was grass all over Sanctum, after all, and lots of human-based fertilizer to go around. The way Ash saw it, he could have some daisies planted and growing in no time. Smiling to himself, Ash finalized the order and sent it out, setting his Pip-Boy aside afterwards and getting up.

Collecting some comfy sleeping clothes took just enough time for Gage to have finished up showering and Ash took his place, washing off the day as well as the romp they'd had earlier. Once both men were clean and dry, they checked on Daisy one last time and then went to bed, Gage oblivious to the real reason Ash was in such a good mood as they snuggled up together and Ash switched off the overhead lights remotely. Gage used to not sleep well with the lights off, but they'd found that so long as he and Ash were together when he fell asleep, the dark didn't bother him enough to mess with his sleep. Luckily for both of them, Ash loved cuddling and Gage had found himself rather fond of it as well.

The next morning while Gage was in the restroom shaving, Ash called in a synth and got the details on the flower hunt. It had been successful, the team having found many flower samples including daisies. They'd already planted them and had followed Ash's orders to put the daisies in particular where he could see them from the balcony of his and Gage's room. The flowers would get the same supplements that the trees and grass did and wouldn't need sunlight, they'd bloom at the end of November. A whole month later. At first Ash was disappointed but it was promptly pointed out to him that daisies naturally bloom the following year after they're planted and suddenly a month didn't seem so bad.

The synth was leaving just as Gage came out of the restroom and he raised his eyebrow at Ash. "Trouble?" He asked, a towel around his neck and his eyepatch still on the nightstand, giving Ash the full view of his burned blind eye.

"Nope. Just a report on a project I have going." Ash said, walking over and having to lean up a bit to peck Gage's lips. He wasn't quite so short that he had to stand on his toes, but it was still a bit of a stretch without his boots on.

"What project?" Gage asked, looking suspicious. "I ain't even had breakfast yet and you're already up to somethin'."

Smiling, Ash shrugged and walked over to the little kitchen area in his room to whip up something for breakfast. "It's a surprise." He replied, deciding on toast and jam. Razorgrain bread toasted on an open flame and tarberries mushed up and preserved with a buttload of sugar and fat. It was his new normal, almost more normal at this point than using a toaster and eating blueberry jam. Everything clicked fully and perfectly into place when Gage wrapped his arms around his hips from behind and rested his chin on his head.

"I ever tell you how much I hate surprises?" He asked softly, a smile clear in his voice.

Humming contently, Ash set his breakfast aside and started making Gage's. Cubed up brahmin tongue and fried green tatos. "You'll like this surprise, I promise." He said, throwing the pre-chopped tongue into a skillet and breading the pre-sliced tatos. It was nice having maids who handled most of the food prep for him.

Sighing softly, Gage kissed Ash's head. "Sometimes I wish you were a little more stubborn when I ask you not to do shit so I could refuse to trust you more often." He mumbled, hugging Ash properly when he turned from the food to wrap his arms around his waist.

"Earning your trust is the only reason I'm not stubborn." He mumbled back, pulling Gage down by the shoulder for a kiss since he wasn't wearing a shirt. "Now shoo. Your tatos are gonna burn." Ash said, letting Gage go and turning back to the food.

Chuckling softly, Gage lightly popped Ash on the ass before leaving him to cook. "Sure thing, darlin'." He said softly, going over to Daisy's nest and making sure the egg wasn't too hot or cold. It felt good. Warm but not too hot, just like when they'd found it. "Think the scientists and shit livin' here before ever tried anythin' like this?" Gage called over, looking up from the egg to see Ash swaying to some unheard rhythm while he cooked.

"Maybe. I wouldn't put it past them. They created synth gorillas, after all." Ash replied, glancing over his shoulder to find Gage smiling fondly at him. Blushing a bit, Ash turned his attention back to the food that was almost done now. "I've been wanting to do some tinkering with our gear. We could take a lazy day. Do some database searching and weapon improving in between putting that rope I found to good use."

"Jesus Christ." Gage swore, shaking his head even as he laughed a bit. "Yeah, sure. Sounds like a plan."

Setting their food on the small table just off the kitchen, Ash offered Gage a smile and sat down, getting started on his toast. Gage joined him after putting a shirt on and they ate in comfortable silence. Once they were done, Gage piled up the dishes on the counter while Ash got into the Sanctum database on his Pip-Boy. He handed over the device once he was in and Gage snapped it on, hauling a comfy chair into Ash's workshop so they could still be together. Ash shamelessly watched Gage move the chair, admiring how easily he lifted it, and then grabbed their weapons, packing them into the workshop and getting started.

It took about five minutes for Nubs to realize she was alone in the room and she promptly joined the couple, hopping up onto Gage's lap and making herself comfortable. Gage absently stroked her while he read and Ash slipped out of the room under the guise of needing water so he could get his camera to capture the moment. Gage didn't know until the camera snapped and when he looked up and saw Ash lowering the camera, he just shook his head with a smile.

Once upon a time, Ash's normal had been hating everyone around him and feeling a gnawing emptiness constantly. Now this was his normal. The bombs falling might've been the end of the world as everyone knew it, but it was the beginning of Ash's life. Before the bombs fell, he'd only existed. Now he was happy and he felt alive and it got easier every day to ignore the voice in his head that told him it wouldn't last and that the emptiness was the only thing that was real. It would never go away, not without drugs that Ash was sure didn't exist anymore and that he'd refused to take so long ago, but so long as he had Gage, he could ignore it and that was close enough.

Gage for his part had certainly never expected to feel so content. Considering the life he'd had, he'd given up on the whole idea of domestic bliss a long time ago. Having a family and being a raider simply didn't mesh. Then Ash had waltzed into his life and taken him from the closest he'd ever been to rock-bottom and given him everything he'd ever wanted Nuka-World to be and more. For Gage, that was as good as having the world. Feeling secure and getting to be happy and, fuck, even being in love. That was better than he ever thought he'd have and it made it a little hard to focus on the documents he was reading.

By lunch, Ash had finished upgrading his and Gage's weapons and Gage had found that the Institute did indeed have information regarding the training of deathclaws. It was all from outside sources, but they had neatly compiled it all into one place for easy perusing. They broke for lunch and then got back to work, Gage making notes on things to try from the many documents in the database and Ash getting to work on their clothes.

By dinner, both Ash and Gage were sick of working and ready to relax for a bit before bed. That didn't end up happening as Gage offered to massage Ash's hands and things escalated from there. Needless to say, Ash made good on putting the rope to use. Finally, after the most exhausting day of rest they'd ever had, Ash and Gage went to bed, too tired to even get cleaned up but just as content as ever.

After showers and breakfast the next morning Ash had planned on taking Gage to see the airport and Prydwen, but had quickly found that he couldn't relay to their exact location. When the little alert appeared on his Pip-Boy, it cited "electrical interference" as the reason for not being able to relay him so Ash had to move the point around a bit before he managed to find a spot that would work. Once he'd found the sweet-spot, Ash grabbed Gage's hand and triggered the relay, the two raiders coming out close enough to the airport to see that it was clearly occupied.

Without really bothering to pay attention to who was shooting at them, Ash and Gage returned fire, making quick work of the people who'd spotted them. As more people began to swarm, Ash realized they weren't Brotherhood. Too disorganized. The military jargon being thrown around gave away easily who they were dealing with if not Brotherhood. The only other group who used that stupid jargon was the gunners.

It took Ash and Gage twenty minutes to clear the entire airport since it was so large, including destroying the EMP generators that were the reason they couldn't relay in. Once that was finished, Ash managed his first real look at the Prydwen. It had dropped in altitude a bit and drifted out a little further over the water it was parked above, but it was still there, floating high and imposing as ever.

"So I couldn't really show you all the carnage I caused down here since those squatters went and cleaned it all up, but I bet the Prydwen is nice and ripe." Ash said, turning a masked grin on Gage and laughing at his wrinkled nose.

"Fine, but I want my respirator." Gage grumbled, taking the mask from Ash as he effortlessly fished it from his bag and held it out to him. "Sanctuary damn near killed me, I can't imagine what it must smell like up there."

Ash started to laugh but then he realized Gage was probably right and decided to swap his mask for his respirator as well. It'd been months, after all, "ripe" was probably putting mildly the state of the Prydwen. Using the coordinates displayed on his Pip-Boy map, Ash figured out where about he'd need to place the relay point to end up on the vertibird dock and grabbed Gage before triggering it. Calculations good, Ash and Gage were now aboard the Prydwen and Ash excitedly led the way inside.

The entrance wasn't too bad since everyone had come up when Ash had started shooting so long ago, so he climbed the ladder up, grinning at the decomposing corpses all over the place. Ash got out of the way and Gage came up after him, eye widening at the carnage laid out before them. There were easily several dozen corpses, all in various stages of decomposition depending on the size. Every one of them was well past the bloating stage and most of them were actively liquefying, creating puddles of brownish black sludge underneath them.

"Jesus." Gage muttered, looking around despite how it was sort of making him queasy. Not even raiders let corpses stay up as decorations long enough to liquefy, so he hadn't ever seen corpses at this stage of decomposition before. "I mean, I had an idea, but that video you showed me was kinda grainy. There's so many of 'em."

"Yeah." Ash said, a sigh in his voice. "This is the my highest body count yet. I'm hoping to top it some day, of course. A day I can't even really remember can't be my biggest slaughter forever."

"Ya can't remember all this?" Gage asked, looking at Ash, who shrugged.

"I took **alot** of drugs and there was so much adrenaline. Everything's kinda blurry when I think about it now." Ash replied, frowning a bit as he looked around again. "Watching that tape of me doing it was like watching a stranger the first time I saw it."

"Huh." Gage muttered, nodding a bit in understanding. "Well, now what? We didn't really come all the way out here just so you could show off, did we?" He asked, tone only half joking. He honestly wouldn't put it past Ash.

Smiling under his mask, Ash looked at Gage. "Busted." He muttered, triggering a few commands on his Pip-Boy. "No, I was thinking of having this murder-blimp cleaned up and repurposed." Ash looked around again, a few blue flashes signaling the arrival of a synth team who immediately got to work cleaning up the rotting corpses all around them. "Maybe call it Armageddon and outfit it with weapons in case I ever get into a serious fight or something."

"Plannin' on goin' to war?" Gage asked, coming closer to Ash so he'd be out of the synths' ways. "Please say no." He added more quietly, not quite ready for something like "yeah, we're taking over the rest of the wasteland now" this early in the morning.

Laughing, Ash shook his head. "No. But better prepared for nothing than just letting this bitch fall into the ocean, right?" He asked, eyes landing on Gage again. "I mean, worst case scenario, I have a giant murder-blimp at my disposal for nothing. Not a bad worst-case scenario."

"No, I guess it ain't." Gage responded, nodding a bit and looking around the ship before humming softly. "Maybe you oughta see if you can get some of them little planes I saw outside up and runnin' while you're at it."

"Why?" Ash asked, raising an eyebrow at Gage. "If I already have the murder-blimp, a few vertibirds aren't going to be that helpful."

"The gangs could use 'em for transportation or somethin'. We get 'em all up and runnin' and send 'em to Nuka-World. Then whenever someone needs to head out to one of the outposts or the other way around, they could just call in a vertibird to take 'em instead of walkin' for a week." Gage replied, shrugging lightly. "Just a thought."

"No, no, that's a good idea." Ash muttered, considering it and nodding after a bit. "Yeah, alright. One vertibird taxi service coming up." He declared, grinning and nudging Gage. "I knew I kept you around for a reason."

Snorting, Gage wrapped an arm around Ash and pulled him close. "And here I thought it was because you loved me so much." He muttered, smiling as Ash blushed. He couldn't see it, but he could tell from his body language.

"Yeah, well, maybe I had more than one reason." Ash muttered back, pushing Gage off when he chuckled. "Come on, jerk, I wanna show you the view from the cockpit."

"The what?" Gage asked loudly, looking at Ash like he was crazy.

Freezing just as he'd been about to mount the ladder, Ash frowned at Gage. "The cockpit." He muttered, frowning more when Gage raised an eyebrow. "It's what the front of a plane is called. I guess I'm not really using it right, but I don't really have another word for it."

"People before the war called the front of planes "cockpits"?" Gage asked, tone disbelieving.

"You- yes! I thought you were correcting me, not getting caught up by the fact that it's got "cock" in the name!" Ash shouted, huffing and frowning at the ladder. He decided to forgo it altogether and simply jumped, his boots absorbing the fall and sending a pleasant little tingle through his legs. To his surprise, Gage jumped down as well, landing with a soft grunt.

"I was gettin' caught up by this murder-blimp havin' a pit dedicated to cock." Gage grumbled, crossing his arms when Ash snorted hard and started laughing. "That's what it sounds like! How the hell was I supposed to know "cockpit" was the name of somethin' and not- shut up!"

Laughing harder, Ash held his sides, taking a moment before he calmed down. "What the fuck am I gonna do with you, love?" He asked breathlessly, smiling fondly at Gage and his smile only growing as Gage flushed.

"Educate me, I guess." Gage muttered, averting his gaze but squeezing Ash's hand immediately when the younger man grabbed him and started dragging him into a room across from the ladder. When they arrived, Ash leaned over some railing and pointed, Gage coming to lean beside him and whistling as he saw the Commonwealth from so high up. "Damn. That's one hell of a view."

"Worth the whole "cockpit" thing?" Ash asked playfully, getting a pop on the ass for his efforts.

"Yeah, I guess so." Gage grumbled, leaning against Ash when the younger man came closer.

They stood there admiring the view for a bit before Ash straightened up and started entering more commands into his Pip-Boy. He'd get synths working on those vertibirds right away and increase the size of the team cleaning Armageddon. Ash wanted to have his new murder-blimp done as soon as possible, after all, even if he didn't foresee ever having to use it. Being able to tell people he had a murder-blimp was its own reward, he didn't **have** to ever need it.

Just as he'd finished sending out the commands, something dawned on Ash and it made him frown. His heart started to beat far too hard as his mind started working faster than he could ignore it and the room suddenly seemed too small. Letting out a few ragged pants that got Gage's attention, Ash ran out of Armageddon, passing the vertibird landing docks and going all the way to the front of the flight deck before he stopped feeling like he was being crowded. Gage was hot on his heels, looking concerned and when Ash couldn't meet his eyes, Gage reached for him, only frowning more when he flinched away.

"Gage, are-are you afraid of me?" Ash asked before Gage could ask him what was wrong, removing his respirator as it suddenly felt like it was suffocating him. "Be honest."

Removing his own respirator as well so he could frown at Ash properly, Gage shook his head. "No. Why would y-"

"Why not?" Ash interrupted, tossing his mask aside and looking up at Gage with a furrowed brow, his eyes shining with unshed tears and his voice tight with emotion. "After everything you've seen, after all I've done, how- why not?"

Glancing back at the entrance to Armageddon's interior, Gage frowned more. "I- where is all this-"

"Answer the question!" Ash screamed, raising his voice higher than Gage had ever heard it which made him look back at Ash with wide-eyed surprise. The dam broke instantly, tears practically pouring from Ash's eyes as he quickly turned away. "I knew it. I should've known." Those were the only words Gage caught before Ash became too quiet to hear. He caught some things like "loose cannon" and "love" and "hated you".

Hesitating for a moment, Gage tossed his own mask aside and came forward, wrapping his arms tightly around Ash's arms on some instinct probably born from knowing Ash as long as he had. That turned out to be a good instinct, because Ash was halfway to the bone in his right arm from scratching it with his claws, having already clawed through his coat and shirt. "I was afraid of you for awhile." Gage admitted softly, holding Ash's arms to his chest tightly as he got a stimpak from the ones on Ash's belts and stabbed it into his mutilated arm. "But that was only for like the first month of knowin' you. I ain't afraid of you no more."

Ash didn't say anything and Gage could tell he was barely breathing in an attempt to keep from making any noises while he cried. "What happened? What even made you think to ask?" He asked gently, a fair bit concerned by Ash's sudden change in mood.

Letting out a shuddering, angry sigh, Ash hung his head. "I remembered how-how I hit you that day when you wouldn't apologize to me." He said, getting the words out surprisingly easy for how hard he was crying. "I remembered how much I enjoyed hitting you and watching you submit." Ash tried to pull away from Gage and took several steps away when Gage let him go reluctantly, hugging himself and still not looking at Gage. "And I thought about how sure I was that you'd never feel anything romantic towards me because I showed you what a monster I am and then I was wrong but it's all just too perfect- **you're** too perfect! So-so you're lying, you have to be, because you're afraid. Because I laid it all out and you were afraid of what I'd do if you rejected me so-so-"

Making up the distance between them, Gage spun Ash around and grabbed either side of his face before pulling him into the softest kiss he could manage, accidentally knocking Ash's hat off in the process but not caring. Ash froze but Gage took his time, his lips working gently on Ash's until Ash slowly responded, kissing him back. Running his fingers gently through Ash's hair, Gage deepened the kiss and Ash made a noise he'd never heard from him before, almost a whimper.

After making sure Ash didn't have enough breath to keep talking, Gage pulled away, keeping one hand on Ash's face and one hand on his hair. "Did that feel fake to you?" He asked softly, watching Ash search his face a bit before shaking his head slowly. "I thought you were gonna try to stop listenin' to the voice."

Eyes widening as he realized Gage was right, he'd cracked and listened to the voice who told him to die and promised his happiness wouldn't last, Ash let out a shuddering breath, the tears having stopped for now. "I-"

"Shh." Gage said softly, stroking Ash's cheek gently and smiling a little when he leaned into it almost hesitantly. "The day I realized I wasn't afraid of you anymore was the day you killed Mason. When you rounded on me outside the Raider Radio Station, I thought you were gonna stab me, and when you didn't, I felt like you wouldn't ever." He said softly, stroking Ash's hair and watching the glow flicker like the fire Gage had always seen in his eyes even before they actually glowed. "Then you let me hug you and I knew for sure that I didn't need to be afraid of you, that you wouldn't hurt me."

Slowly, Gage pulled Ash close and when Ash hugged him slowly, he wrapped his arms tightly around the shorter man. "And that day at the ferris wheel, I knew I loved you. I ain't never felt panic and anger like that day. And you apologized and you let me get away with slappin' you for it and- well, I worry about how easily you go right to hurtin' yourself, but I ain't afraid of you for me, darlin'. Never for me."

Breaking into a fresh wave of tears, Ash buried his face in Gage's chest and allowed the older man to comfort him. It took him several minutes to calm down enough to speak, but when he did, he pulled his face free of Gage's chest. "I'm sorry, Gage. I love you. I-I don't know what I'd do without you." Ash stammered, looking up at Gage with those big, amber eyes that always melted Gage.

Smiling gently, Gage brushed the back of his hand softly against Ash's cheek. "I love you too, Ash. You ain't never gonna have to figure out what to do without me cuz I'm gonna be with you 'til the bitter end, I promise." Hiccuping, Ash nodded but didn't appear to have anymore tears to cry, simply burying his face in Gage's chest again and holding Gage like his life depended on it. "And I forgive you, by the way."

Giggling softly, which surprised a smile out of Gage, Ash nodded. "It was implied, but I appreciate you telling me." He said softly, tilting his head up a bit to kiss Gage gently. Gage kissed him back and after a bit of that, Ash was finally okay. "What should we do now? There's not much left to do here until the synths finish cleaning and repairs and all that." He asked, sniffling softly and going to messing with his Pip-Boy, clearly trying to brush off what had just happened.

Recognizing the attempt for what it was, Gage collected their masks from the deck and grabbed Ash's hat, putting it on Ash's head and watching him adjust it so it didn't hang as far over his eyes as it usually did. "Guess we could-"

A zap interrupted Gage and then Skye was there, standing with them on the deck. "The egg is hatching." They informed, relaying Ash and Gage back to Sanctum with themself before either man could say anything.


	29. A Deathclaw in Nuka-World

Chapter Specific Characters: Porter Gage, Daisy the Deathclaw, Nubs, Shank, Tabs, Mags Black, William Black, Lizzie Wyath, Nisha, Savoy the couch cushion, Mama Dixie

Chapter Specific Tags/Warnings: Ash is a thot, Gage is an amazing husband, heavily implied forniphilia (human furniture kink), recreational drug use

* * *

Forgetting all about what had just happened aboard Armageddon, Ash and Gage rushed up to their room and knelt beside the nest. The egg was shaking frequently and cracks had appeared all over the rough, mottled surface. Every now and again a claw would poke through and Ash grabbed Gage's hand as they watched excitedly, Gage giving him a squeeze.

In minutes, Daisy had busted through their egg enough to look upon their new world. The first person their eyes landed on was Gage and then Ash. The two raiders held their breath as Daisy cracked through their egg a bit more and stumbled out of the remains of the shell. They stumbled a bit more and then finally seemed to get their legs working the way they wanted. Much to Ash and Gage's surprise, and delight, they started chirping and trilling and then ran up to Gage, jumping onto his lap and stretching their face up to his face.

Laughing happily, Ash watched as Gage quickly leaned away in time to avoid being snapped at by Daisy's fully-formed, if small, teeth. "I think they're hungry." Gage muttered, leaning forward again only to jerk back as he was snapped at once more. Daisy's trilling became impatient and they sniffed the air, suddenly turning their attention to Ash

Running to him instead, Daisy went for the tatters of his coat sleeve, trying to eat it. Ash bit his lip to keep from laughing as Gage got up and went to the fridge where Nubs' food was kept and got out some cubed brahmin. Daisy quickly realized they couldn't eat Ash's sleeve and went to his face to snap at him demandingly. Ash allowed Daisy to bite him but instantly regretted it as it actually hurt. Pulling back and covering his bloody lip, Ash nodded. "Definitely hungry." He confirmed through his fingers, wondering now if he could get any infections or other assorted health problems from deathclaw spit entering his blood.

Laughing a bit, Gage opened up the package and Daisy got off of Ash as soon as they smelled the meat. Ash started cleaning his lip and Gage got another surprise when Daisy started climbing him. "Jesus Christ!" He swore loudly, holding the food out of Daisy's reach as they made it all the way up to his head before wailing noisily. "I was tryin'! You're impatient!" Gage shouted back, crouching to put the food down and rubbing at the light scratches on his face when Daisy leapt down to get it. Ash was laughing again.

"They're so fucking cute." He said happily, coming over and looking Gage's injuries over. "At least they didn't draw blood."

"Got you pretty good though, huh?" Gage asked, running his thumb over Ash's lip.

Poking his tongue out, Ash licked Gage's thumb and smiled at the surprised look that earned him. "I'll live." He replied, looking down as Daisy bumped their head against his leg. The container was empty and when Daisy realized Ash was looking at them, they started trilling at him. Laughing, Ash got another container out and opened it close to the floor so Daisy didn't try to climb him. "I'm gonna have to increase food gathering."

"They **are** a growin' murder-lizard." Gage said, wrapping his arm around Ash's shoulders and watching Daisy eat. "They're a little more rambunctious than I thought they'd be."

"Yeah." Ash agreed, laying his head on Gage's shoulder. "I was sort of hoping they'd be more cat-like than dog-like."

Humming, Gage shrugged and got another container as Daisy finished the second one, opening it up for them and watching them go to town. "Always liked dogs better myself." He admitted, glancing over and laughing at the shocked and offended expression on Ash's face.

"The betrayal." Ash muttered, cracking a smile as Gage laughed at him.

"Don't get me wrong, I still love Nubs to bits. Just always found cats kinda- I dunno, **coy** for my taste." Gage said, making a face that made Ash smile more as he fished for the right word. "With dogs, it's easier to tell how they're feelin'. Less guess-work."

"I guess that's fair." Ash muttered, shrugging off his coat and sighing down at the shredded arm. "Don't think that'll be salvageable."

Frowning a bit, Gage took the coat and tossed it aside, helping Ash out of his belts and shredded shirt next. "Don't worry about all that. Let's focus on Daisy for now."

Smiling softly, Ash nodded. "Yeah, alright." As Gage got Daisy yet another container of food, Ash changed into something more casual and cleaned the blood off his arm before he tagged out with Gage so he could also change. While Gage changed, Ash cracked open a can of water and filled one of the empty bowls with it. Daisy finished the bowl they were working on and then drank half the bowl of water. Finally, they seemed sated, making a low rumbling noise that Ash could only compare to a purr.

"Wonder how long it'll take us to figure out if we got a son or a daughter." Gage said offhandedly beside Ash, watching Daisy explore the room.

"Yeah, I don't know how to tell with a reptile." Ash admitted, tilting his head slightly. "I've never gotten a close enough look at a deathclaw's crotch to know if they even have genitals."

"They don't." Gage answered, like it was the most casual thing in the world to know that. "They got one of them crotch-slits. Makes 'em all look female 'til the red rocket comes pokin' out."

Blinking slowly, Ash pursed his lips and tried, tried so hard not to, but when Gage looked down at him, he couldn't help it and started laughing.

Frowning in confusion, Gage nudged Ash. "What's so funny?" He demanded, smiling a bit at Ash's laugh. It was nice to hear it even when it was at his expense.

"You called it a red rocket!" Ash wheezed, calming down enough shortly after to elaborate. "I'm so angry that survived but it's also hilarious."

Chuckling softly, Gage shook his head, looking back over at Daisy as she explored their bed, having apparently climbed up there when he and Ash weren't looking. "You find the weirdest shit funny."

"I **am** a teenager." Ash replied, walking up to Daisy and giving them his hand. They sniffed it and then bumped their little head against it and Ash smiled, petting down their bumpy back and getting a rumble for his efforts.

"They're more cat-like than you thought." Gage said behind Ash, reaching around him and huffing when Daisy climbed his arm. "Dammit, not again." He grumbled, pausing when Daisy perched on his shoulder, their tail coming around his neck to keep them steady as they got comfortable. "Huh." Gage muttered, glancing over at Daisy and smiling when they trilled lightly and bumped their head against his cheek.

Making a high-pitched sound that caught both Gage and Daisy's attention, Ash covered his mouth, looking away to hide his huge smile. "They're a daddy's lizard." He muttered, gasping suddenly and scrambling for his camera. Gage got Daisy to bump his cheek again and Ash took a picture, making the same high-pitched noise as he hugged his camera. "This was one of the best ideas you've ever had."

Chuckling softly, Gage rubbed Daisy under the chin a bit. "Yeah. Sure was." He agreed happily, getting happy lizard rumbles from Daisy.

An unholy yowl from outside the door broke up the scene and Ash started laughing again, going over to the door to open it and watching Nubs as she came in. "That's new." He told her, crouching to scoop her up as she rubbed his shins. "Guess you were just excited to meet your sibling." Walking over, Ash held Nubs close to Daisy and they immediately started sniffing eachother.

There was a tense moment where both Ash and Gage were ready to quickly separate them, but then Nubs bumped her head against Daisy's and Daisy, after a moment of looking stunned, trilled excitedly and leapt from Gage to Ash so they could get a closer look at Nubs. Nubs stretched up to Daisy and Daisy bumped her back, Nubs meowing at Daisy and Daisy chirping. They seemed to come to an understanding while Ash and Gage watched in surprise and both of them settled down on Ash facing eachother, Nubs purring contently and Daisy rumbling happily.

It was Gage's turn to snap a photo and then he joined the picture when Ash motioned for him to do so. Ash instructed him on how to angle the camera and Gage got a great picture of all of them. After that, Nubs was over being held and Daisy decided to go exploring past the now-open door and into the rest of Sanctum. Ash quickly sent out the command to treat Daisy like royalty and also to keep and eye on them and Nubs just in case. He still didn't want his cat to get eaten, after all.

Now that the excitement of Daisy's hatching was over, Ash looked to his coat and sighed again. Picking it up, he examined the sleeve again before taking it and his Nuka-Girl shirt to his workshop. Gage was busy feeding Nubs but then he followed Ash, watching as he cut the sleeves off the coat up to the elbows and completely off the shirt before sewing the edges up to create new seams.

Crossing his arms over his chest, Gage leaned against the wall. "First your stomach, now your arms. Pretty soon you'll be runnin' around naked." He joked, smiling when Ash glanced up him and getting a small smile for his efforts.

"You'd like that, wouldn't you, you dirty old man?" Ash asked quietly, glancing over again and raising an eyebrow when Gage looked thoughtful instead of offended like he'd expected.

"Maybe we could keep the boots. Get rid of the rest." He said, grinning when Ash looked at him in surprise. "I can play that game too, ya brat."

Scoffing, Ash looked away, shaking his head. "You're gonna feel funny when I take you up on that one day. Stroll through Nuka-World naked while we take care of business or some shit."

Snorting, Gage shook his own head. "It's your body, boss."

Blinking slowly, Ash looked over at Gage uncertainly. "You'd let me run around naked?"

"I wouldn't want you fightin' naked, but if we're just takin' care of business around Nuka-World, you can wear whatever you want." Gage replied, shrugging. "If what you wanna wear is nothin', that's your business." He smirked then, looking quite smug. "Give me a chance to show off what's mine."

Flushing darkly, Ash looked back to his clothes, double-checking the seams while he tried to will himself to stop blushing. "Maybe I should make myself something slutty to wear around Nuka-World, then. Some little shorts to go with my boots, skip the coat and belts." He glanced over again and found that Gage was blushing now.

Clearing his throat, Gage looked away. "I mean, I wouldn't be opposed." He muttered, looking up again as Ash excitedly got something from the trunk where he kept all the clothes he hoarded. Much to Gage's surprise, Ash pulled out a vault-suit.

"Time to butcher this crime against fashion." Ash said excitedly, laying out the suit and taking a pair of scissors to it.

"Have you- have you been worryin' about how you dress cuz of me?" Gage asked, watching Ash cut the sleeves off first and then cut the legs short.

"Not worrying, really, I just thought you were the jealous type and I know you're a fan of practical clothes, so, y'know." Ash replied, measuring the suit against himself before making a couple of small cuts where he planned on separating the bottom from the top and cut out the stomach of the top.

"Well I wouldn't want you to wear somethin' too skimpy durin' a fight cuz that's dangerous, but if it's just out and about, that's different." Gage explained, watching piece after piece of fabric fall to the floor. "I _am_ sorta jealous, but only when it comes to touchin'. Lookin' ain't never hurt nobody."

"Wow." Ash said, making seams where he'd cut before dying the new clothes black and setting them on a rack to dry.

"Ain't like all of Nuka-World don't already know you're mine. I ain't worried if you wanna make 'em jealous." Gage said, smiling when Ash came over and pecked his lips. Ash opened his mouth to say something but then Gage jerked and made a face that made him snort. Looking down, Gage frowned at Daisy as they climbed him, perching on his shoulder like earlier and bumping his cheek. "I don't like that. I ain't never gonna be able to not wear jeans around you." He told them, getting a happy little trill for his efforts.

Smiling, Ash shook his head. "They almost dislocated my shoulder earlier trying to get at Nubs. I can't believe how heavy they already are."

"Yeah." Gage agreed, unable to help himself and giving Daisy scritchies under the chin. "Won't be small enough to be perchin' on me for long."

"Speaking of, when do you think they'll be old enough to start training them?" Ash asked, reaching over and scratching the top of Daisy's head gently. Their horns hadn't come in yet, two little stubs on the top of their head marking where they would be once they did.

"Probably right away. They seem pretty smart already, bet they'd pick up some basic commands real quick." Gage replied, following Ash into their room and admiring the view as Ash bent over to get a container of meat from the fridge. Ash had finally gained enough weight that there was a view to admire.

"Wanna start now?" Ash asked, straightening up and shaking the container a bit. Gage gave a shrug and they got started. In about a week Daisy knew their name, and seven basic commands: sit, stay, come, stop, up, no, and yes. Apparently, deathclaws were very smart and _very_ motivated by radstag meat. Particularly, Ash and Gage had found, organ meat. Since it had been over a week, Ash was overdo to make sure Nuka-World was still running smoothly so he whipped up a harness for Daisy and attached it to a length of chain so they could take Daisy out with them.

Once that was out of the way, Ash put on his new outfit, the shorts barely long enough to cover everything that needed covering and the shirt being more of an accessory since Ash barely zipped it enough to close it. He was aware it was early November and it was gonna be cold out in the 'Wealth, but the expression on Gage's face when Ash allowed him to open his eye was worth a few goosebumps and a couple hard nipples.

Just in case his opinion on that matter changed, though, Ash packed his coat and even though he didn't put on his chest belt, he kept the one that went on his waist so he could keep Blasphemy and Damnation on him. Once Sin was strapped into place, Ash was ready to go and he took Gage's hand to relay them to Nuka-World. He wasn't wearing his mask but he did have his hat on, though it was tilted back like it was meant to be worn. It wasn't that Ash didn't think someone might realize how young he was and say something so much as it was that he didn't give a shit anymore. He'd already proven himself many times over, if someone still wanted to question him based on his age, he'd just stab them and prove himself again.

Shank was certainly surprised when the trio appeared in front of him and it took him several takes before he composed himself enough to give Ash a raised eyebrow. "Good to see you, boss." He offered, clearly still surprised even as he tried to keep his voice neutral.

"Got anything to report?" Ash asked, glancing over to check on Daisy and seeing that they were exploring as far as their leash would let them but were being good. When he looked back at Shank, he caught him staring at Daisy and grinned, clearing his throat and getting an almost sheepish grin from Shank.

"Cute dog." He joked, clearing his throat softly and getting his book out. Shank flipped through it and gave a shrug, looking back up at Ash. "Nothing pressing, just the usual boring shit that goes in the monthly."

Nodding, Ash pulled a bracelet from his belt and held it out to Shank. It took Shank a moment of staring at the offering before he took it tentatively. "Gage and I talked about it and we've decided you should have access to our place. It's called Sanctum and that device will take you there and bring you back when you hit the button."

"Oh." Shank said, the surprise clear and unmasked on his face. He looked down at the device again and clipped it into place on his left wrist past his glove. "Uh, wow."

Smiling a bit, Ash seared the mental image of Shank at a loss into his mind for later enjoyment. "When you get there, just pick a room and let a synth know, they'll make sure it stays yours. You can store your shit there or whatever. Think of it as a second home." Before Shank could respond, Ash walked off, taking Gage's free hand and smiling up at him as they walked further into Nuka-Town. "That went well."

"I'm gonna remember that face for as long as I live." Gage said, grinning and glancing down at Daisy every now and again to make sure they were being good.

"Right? Bet he's never been so speechless in his life." Ash agreed, walking to the entrance of the Zoo and catching how every Pack member in the vicinity was staring at Daisy. It was hard to tell what their expressions were for the ones wearing masks, but the ones whose faces Ash could see looked awed at the leashed deathclaw happily walking along beside them.

Walking into the Zoo with a grin, Ash passed up quite a few Pack members who were actually brave enough to wolf whistle him. He didn't pay them any mind, simply walking past them and up to Tabs. When she saw him, her eyes widened and she herself whistled, grinning broadly and jumping down from her throne to stand before Ash.

"Damn, boss!" She said, looking Ash up and down a few times. "That coat was _not_ doing you any favors."

Laughing a bit, Ash nodded. "Yeah, the whistles I got coming in here tipped me off." He said, walking around Gage and picking Daisy up with some effort. "This is Daisy."

"Holy fucking- is that a deathclaw!?" Tabs shouted, coming closer and examining Daisy closely. "It is! Holy shit, can I hold it, please!?" She asked excitedly, peering around Daisy to look at Ash.

Smiling, Ash nodded and handed Daisy over. Daisy for her part sniffed Tabs curiously as the built woman held them easily. After a bit of sniffing, they trilled happily and bumped their head against Tabs, their stubby little horns scraping her cheek. Tabs laughed in delight and gave Daisy a squeeze.

"This is the greatest day of my life." She said, grinning brightly at Ash as Daisy explored her bright green dreadlocks. "How'd you catch it? No, how'd you get it from its mom?"

"They were still an egg when we found them. We didn't even know the deathclaw was a mom until after we killed her." Ash explained, smiling as Daisy climbed onto Tabs' shoulder and curled around her happily, making those content rumbling noises.

"They're so docile." Tabs remarked, reaching up to pet Daisy and grinning more when Daisy bumped her hand. "How long have you had them?"

"'Bout a week." Gage answered, watching Daisy ham it up with Tabs and smiling a bit. He usually tried to look intimidating when he was around the bosses and usually tried to stay out of it if they were talking to Ash, but he couldn't help his smile. Daisy was so damn cute and Tabs really did have good energy; it was hard to feel like he needed to act intimidating around her.

"Damn. They're big for a week old." Tabs said, glancing at the huge reptilian cat on her shoulders. "Have you figured out if they're a boy or a girl?"

"We don't really know how to check." Ash admitted, watching curiously as Tabs wrestled Daisy from her shoulders and held them like a baby. She checked her index finger and then, much to Ash and Gage's confusion and surprise, stuck the finger into Daisy's crotch-slit. Tabs felt around for a moment before removing her finger and wiping it off on her pants. Meanwhile Daisy reclaimed her spot on Tabs' shoulders, going right back to rumbling like nothing had happened. "She's a girl." Tabs informed, offering Ash and Gage a smile.

"Did-did you just finger our pet deathclaw?" Ash asked, trying to decide whether he wanted to laugh or not.

Snorting, Tabs shook her head. "I was checking her cloaca for a penis. It's the only way to tell 'til they get older."

"Huh." Ash muttered, shifting a bit and nodding. "Good to know, I guess." He glanced over at Gage and snickered at his surprised expression, finally deciding on amused for his own emotions. "Anyway, I mostly came by to give you this." Ash said, holding out a bracelet to Tabs. He explained what it was like he'd told Shank and Tabs looked just as surprised as she took the bracelet.

"Wow. Thanks, boss. Surprised you trust me enough to give me this." Tabs admitted, snapping the bracelet into place.

"It'll be easy enough to revoke your Sanctum privileges if it turns out I can't trust you." Ash replied, giving a shrug. "Got anything to report before I head out?"

"There were a couple of attacks on Pack outposts this week but we didn't bother calling it in since the defenses you set up took care of the other raiders before they even got close enough to start making threats." Tabs replied, handing Daisy over to Gage and smiling as Daisy trilled happily at him once he had her. "I put it in the monthly, of course. That's pretty much it. It's been real smooth sailing since I took over."

"Good." Ash said, giving a nod. "Later then." He offered, going to leave before Tabs made an "ooh" noise and dashed up beside him, pointing to the bracelet.

"One question: can I paint this?"

Snorting softly, Ash shook his head. "Yeah. Don't paint over the little screen. The rest is fine though. Even the buttons."

"Sick. Thanks, boss." Tabs said happily, not waiting for a response and hurrying off to break into the paints.

Shaking his head again, Ash left the Zoo and started making his way to the Parlor. "That went well too. I think I like Tabs."

"She's definitely an upgrade from Mason." Gage agreed, watching Daisy sniff at every person who passed her. People had meant treats and attention before but now that seemed extra reinforced after Tabs had given her so much attention so now Daisy was interested in everyone they passed. It was cute and funny when someone glanced down only to realize it was a deathclaw sniffing them and they had a moment of primal panic before realizing she was leashed and Gage held that leash.

"Oh yeah, it's not even a comparison." Ash agreed, walking into the Parlor and finding Mags and William quickly. There was another woman with them who didn't leave when Ash approached and he assumed it was the "co-conspirator" whose name he'd forgotten.

"Ah, Overboss." Mags greeted, smiling pleasantly and standing to greet Ash. "We heard you were back." She gave him a subtle once-over and motioned to the other woman at the table. "You and Lizzie never got to meet formally." Looking over, Ash nodded once in greeting and Lizzie gave him a nervous smile and shy wave. "Good enough." Mags mumbled, sounding amused and motioning to the chair Ash was standing near before sitting down herself. "To what do we owe the pleasure, Overboss?"

Taking a seat and motioning for Gage to do the same, which he did, Ash set three bracelets down on the table, one in front of each Operator. "I come bearing gifts." He informed, going on to explain the function of the bracelets as Daisy took a liking to William and climbed him in order to bump his face. William looked very tense but Ash and Gage were smiling. "She likes you." Ash informed, watching as William tentatively reached up to touch Daisy and let out a breath when she bumped his hand instead of mauling him like it looked like he was expecting.

"She's, uh- she's real cute, Overboss." William said, still sounding nervous. Both Mags and Lizzie, however, were watching curiously.

"You're training her?" Lizzie asked, looking at Ash.

"Me and Gage, yeah." Ash replied, reaching over to grip Gage's hand.

"Wow." Lizzie breathed, looking back to Daisy. "Does she know any commands or anything?"

"Daisy." Gage called, motioning to his shoulder when Daisy looked at him curiously. "Up." Daisy wiggled her butt a bit and then launched herself off William's shoulders and onto Gage's, her leash miraculously avoiding getting tangled on anything or anyone. She wrapped around him and he gave her a treat from a bag on his hip. "She's knows some other stuff too." He said offhandedly, smirking at the awed look on Lizzie's face.

Looking to Mags, Ash found she was examining her bracelet. "So, Mags, did you have anything to report to me while I'm here?"

Looking up from her wrist, Mags offered Ash her usual pleasant expression. "Nothing of any interest, Overboss."

Nodding, Ash got up. "We'll be on our way, then." He informed, leaving with Gage after some brief goodbyes.

"Saved the best for last, huh?" Gage asked playfully, letting Daisy stay perched on his shoulders while they walked to Fizztop. She was kinda heavy but she was also warm and it was nice having her rumbling, leathery body against him. Speaking of warm, Ash hadn't given into the late fall chill yet, looking like he was doing just fine in his tiny clothes. Gage idly wondered if he was cold and just determined or if he was fine but decided not to ask, decided to trust Ash to put his coat on if he got uncomfortable.

"Just going in order." Ash replied, glancing over and smiling at Gage and Daisy. "I don't have any reason to avoid the Pack anymore so I can finally do that."

"You know, when you came back to the Grille that second day, I thought for sure you were limpin' cuz of Mason." Gage mentioned, taking a step away when Ash stopped abruptly and smiling at the way he slowly turned to look at him.

"You thought I let that hulking dick-head fuck me?" Ash asked quietly, sounding quite offended.

Shrugging, which jostled Daisy enough that she realized they were in a new area and jumped down to explore, Gage made an almost apologetic face. "Was willin' to bet my gun on it."

Making a disgusted sound, Ash shuddered and kept walking. "It was Pickman." He admitted after a bit, glancing over in time to catch Gage's scrunched nose.

"Yeah, that would explain the limp." Gage muttered, walking into Fizztop Mountain and scrunching his nose again at the smell. The Disciples were the first group you went to if you needed a fight to end with no one standing on the other side and that made them real valuable allies and not someone you wanted to end up fighting against, but Gage had never liked them. To focused on the kill and too proud of the aftermath. It wasn't until he'd started getting close to Ash that he'd gained an appreciation for that way of thinking. The smell was still a bit much though.

Humming in acknowledgment, Ash looked up at the ramps he'd need to climb to get to Nisha and sighed. He was about to start when he heard Dixie laughing nearby and followed the sound into the shack on the ground floor. Ash walked in on Nisha and Dixie having a conversation, Dixie sitting on a chair and Nisha- well, Nisha was on a couch but the only male Disciple Ash had ever seen, the one who struck him as broody his first day, was between her and the couch, laying on his back perfectly still while Nisha sat on his stomach.

"Well, hey there, boss!" Dixie greeted cheerfully when she noticed Ash. "Got the boss lady to come down for you when I heard you were makin' the rounds."

"Oh." Ash said, his surprise showing on his face. "Uh, thanks, Dixie." He smiled when Dixie waved a dismissive hand at him. "I came for a couple of reasons." Ash said, taking out two bracelets and handing one to Dixie and one to Nisha. He explained the purpose and then looked to the guy under Nisha, looking uncertain. "Did you want him to have one?" Ash asked, looking to Nisha. "I don't mind if he's part of the leadership or whatever."

Scoffing, Nisha settled against the back of the couch, definitely adding more of her weight to the guy under her. "He's **not** part of the leadership, but I suppose I might need a footstool or something while I'm there." She replied, taking the bracelet Ash handed her and setting it casually on the broody one's face.

"Right." Ash said slowly, suspecting suddenly that Nisha and the broody one were into some kinky shit that he didn't want to know about. "Well, I also came to ask if there was anything you wanted to report to me while I'm here." He said, watching as Daisy sniffed around the table between Nisha and Dixie before jumping onto the broody one and getting comfy on his chest. Ash pursed his lips, getting ready to tell Daisy no but Nisha looked down at her, a small smile playing her lips.

"Well. Who's this?" She asked, reaching over and petting Daisy's head when she trilled and leaned over.

"That's Daisy." Ash replied, glancing over to the broody one's face but unable to tell what it looked like thanks to his mask.

"I see she already knows her place." Nisha said, glancing over Daisy to the broody one and looking very satisfied from what Ash could see of her face. "Good. A lady should always know where she stands." She finalized, giving Daisy a few more pets as she looked up at Ash. "Nothing to report that I haven't already. Nothing worth your time or concern."

Once Nisha was done petting her, Daisy jumped over to Dixie and stretched up her side to trill at her face. Dixie laughed in delight and scratched Daisy under the neck. "Never seen one of these up close. You be sure to bring 'er around whenever you come to visit, boss."

"Sure thing, Dixie." Ash agreed, smiling a bit and making a clicking sound with his tongue. Daisy looked over expectantly and Ash motioned over to himself with his head. "Come." Daisy obeyed, happily taking the treat Ash gave her for listening. "Anyway, later." He got a cheerful "see y'round, boss" from Dixie and a wave from Nisha and that was good enough for Ash. After exiting Fizztop, Ash turned to Gage. "Guess Nuka-World won't fall apart if I spend longer than a week away after all."

"Guess not." Gage agreed, smiling at Ash. "And now that the bosses can get to Sanctum, they can always tell a synth when somethin's up and they can come get you."

"Yep. Might be able to just drop by whenever I feel like it, not worry about a schedule." Ash said, holding his hand out to Gage. "Speaking of, wanna head back? I think Daisy's had enough excitement for her first outing."

"Sounds good, boss." Gage replied, taking Ash's hand and getting Daisy out of her harness once they were in Sanctum. He crouched and tapped her head gently, holding out a handful of treats to her when she looked at him. She trilled happily and ate the treats out of his hand. "You did real good today, Daisy." He told her, getting a few chirps before Daisy bumped his chin and ran off. Laughing a bit, Gage straightened up and wiped the deathclaw slobber on his hand onto his jeans. "Almost seems like she understands us."

"Maybe she does." Ash replied, shrugging when Gage looked at him. "You don't know how smart a deathclaw is. **I** definitely don't." Gage hummed in acknowledgment, giving a nod of agreement and they both went up to their room, getting settled in for a lazy day of crunching numbers.

A couple hours after lunch, all of the numbers had been crunched and Ash and Gage were just relaxing together, enjoying eachother's company while doing their own thing. Unbeknownst to Gage, Ash was starting to get a little antsy though and eventually, he set his sketchbook down. "Hey, Gage?" He asked, getting a "hmm?" in response and coming a little closer to his boyfriend. "Why do you hate it when I get high?"

"It's dangerous." Gage replied, glancing up from his book. "Letting yourself get so out of it that you stop noticin' shit is a fast way to get killed."

"But we're safe here in Sanctum." Ash pressed, taking Gage's book from him and setting it on the table. "I trust you and you trust me and the synths are around to keep us from doing anything too crazy."

"You wanna get high, don't you?" Gage asked after a bit of staring at Ash.

"So bad." Ash replied, setting down a handkerchief that opened up to reveal an assortment of drugs. "But I wanted to get high with you. It's not as fun getting high alone."

"I don't get high, boss." Gage said, reaching for his book again. "But I'll tell you what, you go nuts. No judgment, I promise. Not so long as we're here in Sanctum."

"C'mon, love, please?" Ash begged, tilting his head at Gage. "You don't have to take anything hard, just have some Jet and float with me."

"Don't like Jet." Gage replied, not taking his eyes from his book.

Shoulders slumping, Ash pondered that before perking up. "How about some Day Tripper? It just makes you happy." When Gage didn't shoot him down right away like with the Jet, Ash grabbed the little green bottle with the orange lid from the table and shook it at Gage. "Just one pill? It won't last that long."

Sighing after a bit, Gage set his book aside. "Oh, alright. One pill." He agreed, taking the pill when Ash excitedly gave it to him. What harm could one pill do anyway?

Smiling happily, Ash sat back and took two deep inhales of Jet, sighing happily as the feeling of relaxation settled over him. "This is gonna be great, but if you don't have fun, I won't ever ask again, I promise." He said, getting a soft chuckle from Gage.

"Alright." Gage agreed, watching Ash's pupils blow out while a light sort of happiness settled over him. It wasn't bad, it was sort of nice, actually. It wasn't manic or pressing, just a nice happy buzz, like he didn't have any worries and it was okay to just **be** for awhile. Gage lost all concept of time so he wasn't exactly sure how long it had been before Ash suddenly spoke up, but it pulled him from a pleasant daydream he'd been having.

"So if we got married would you take my last name or would I take yours?" Ash asked, getting to witness Gage doing emotional gymnastics as his face switched from neutral to surprised to confused to nervous to unsure and back to confused all in about two seconds.

"What's your last name?" He finally asked, the Day Tripper in his system making him smile with Ash even though Gage dimly knew Ash was smiling at his reaction.

"Reeves." Ash replied easily, laying back against Gage's lap to keep watching his face.

"Porter Reeves." Gage muttered, looking down curiously when Ash's eyes widened.

"I forgot your first name's not Gage." He muttered, biting his lip and snorting out a laugh when Gage did the same.

"Seriously?" Gage asked, grinning down at Ash.

"You go by Gage and you only told me once. I'm bad with names." Ash defended, stuck between being embarrassed and finding it funny. "When you told me it, I didn't know I was gonna need it so I just forgot it instantly. It's what I do. Then everyone, including you, called you Gage and that seemed familiar, so I forgot it was your last name." Smiling at the amused look Gage was giving him, Ash shrugged half-apologetically. "I'll remember it now."

Laughing, Gage shook his head and after a bit, decided to answer Ash's question. "Think maybe we'd just have to keep our names, darlin'. I ain't goin' by Porter or Reeves and I don't think you wanna be Ash Gage."

"What about Gage Reeves?" Ash hummed airly, taking another hit of Jet before continuing. "You go by Gage anyway, just make it your first name. My real name is Asher but I always go by Ash."

"Your full name's Asher Reeves?" Gage asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah." Ash sighed, looking away. "Nate and Nora had shitty taste. Asher and Shaun. At least I can work with mine, Shaun's was so bad he had to start going by a title instead."

Snickering, Gage pondered the suggestion for a bit before nodding. "Alright. Tell you what, you ever decide to make an honest man outta me, I'll take your last name."

"Wait, why do **I **have to be the one to propose?" Ash asked, frowning up at Gage. "Don't you know the man is supposed to do it?"

"We're both men." Gage laughed, looking down at Ash like he was weird. When Ash deflated, Gage laughed again. "'Sides, that sounds like some stupid, old-world bullshit. I don't think people even get married no more. Ain't nobody got the time. Ya just start livin' together, maybe get a family goin' if you're so inclined. That's that."

"Oh." Ash muttered, chewing on his lip a bit before smiling coyly. "So then we're already married."

Choking on nothing in particular, Gage shook his head. "Oh, no you don't, you don't get to start callin' me "husband" 'til you've gotten me a ring or some shit."

"But that's stupid, old-world bullshit!" Ash argued, grinning when Gage glared at him for using his own words against him, a small smile tugging his lips despite the glare. "Love you, hubby."

Sighing in defeat, Gage offered Ash a full smile. "Love you too, wifey." He replied, getting a happy smile from Ash and humming contently as he got comfortable against his thigh. Maybe it was just the Day Tripper, but he supposed Gage Reeves really did have a certain ring to it.

A few, considerably more delirious, conversations later, the Jet started to put Ash to sleep and Gage assured him it was alright to take a nap, that he'd be right there, so Ash drifted off, slipping quickly into wild, Jet-fueled dreams. Meanwhile, Gage daydreamed happily on the couch, idly stroking Ash's hair while he snoozed against his thigh. Getting high definitely wasn't as bad as he remembered it being. Maybe having the right company made all the difference.


	30. Secrets

Author's Note: To preserve the surprise, the tags and warnings will be listed in the end notes instead of here. Skip ahead to those if you're worried or impatient.

* * *

When Ash woke up, he wasn't sure how long it had been and when he went to check, he realized he couldn't because his Pip-Boy wasn't on his arm. Sitting up slowly, Ash looked around and saw that a few more drugs were missing from the handkerchief. After sitting there for a moment, Ash also realized that Gage wasn't there. The door to the room opened and Ash looked up, blinking slowly and frowning when his sleep-hazed, drug-fogged brain recognized Skye. There was a question on the tip of his tongue but Skye beat him to it.

"He's in his old room. I think you'll want to see this."

Frowning more, Ash grabbed a can of water and downed it on the way to Gage's old room. He opened the door and immediately sobered up considerably upon finding Gage spread out on the couch, absolutely covered in blood, only wearing his jeans, and- licking the blood off his hands like a cat. "Gage?" Ash asked softly, stepping fully into the room and looking Gage over for injuries. There was an almost entirely healed injury on his side that was that was still bleeding a bit, but there was no way all the blood had come from that.

Looking up leisurely, Gage grinned widely at Ash. "Hey, babe!" He said happily, making Ash furrow his brows in confusion. Gage had never called him that before. "I was wonderin' when you were gonna wake up." Pausing, Gage licked a long line from the crook of his arm, up his wrist, across his palm, and to the tip of his middle finger, which he then suckled clean, swallowing and smacking his lips lightly once he was done. "Jet really knocks you out. S'been hours."

Not really sure what to say, Ash shifted on his feet a bit. "Gage, is- that's not all your blood is it?" He asked after a bit, deciding to start with what might be the most pressing matter.

Snickering, Gage shook his head, stretching out on the couch leisurely. "Nah. Just some on the side here." He replied, motioning to his injured side. "Got stabbed a little. Didn't hurt though, don't worry." Gage offered Ash a far too happy smile and then seemed to realize his hands were still bloody because he went back to licking them.

"You seem alot more high than when I went to sleep." Ash said, coming closer and catching a good look at Gage's huge pupils.

"I am." Gage admitted, giggling in an unhinged way. "I mighta took a couple other things while you were out. Got kinda bored after watchin' you sleep for awhile."

"How did you end up covered in blood?" Ash asked, concerned like never before. Whatever Gage had done, Ash felt it was his fault for convincing him to get high in the first place. If Gage had simply gone on a killing spree, that wasn't so bad, but Ash had a bad feeling it was more than that, something worse, stemming mostly from how Gage was licking blood from himself like he was licking the frosting from a cupcake.

"Oh! I borrowed your Pip-Boy!" Gage said, rolling over to reach over the arm of the couch and then back over to hold the device out to Ash.

Taking it slowly, Ash set it on the table. It was also covered in blood. "Okay. Why?"

"Needed to go huntin'." Gage replied, giggling again and gasping when he found a chunk of gore on his arm. He licked it up and Ash's eyes widened as he swallowed it down with a pleased hum.

"Hunting?" Ash asked softly, concerned and confused and maybe even a little disturbed. He'd never seen Gage like this, after all. It was off. **He** was off.

"Mmhm. Been sooo long since I hunted." Gage practically moaned, laying his head back and licking his lips. "God, I missed the taste."

"What-what did you hunt, Gage?" Ash practically whispered, feeling a mounting sense of dread. Who the hell was this man wearing Gage's skin? Speaking in his voice? This wasn't his Gage. This creature sprawled out on the couch, drenched in blood wasn't his Gage. It was some demon the drugs he'd taken had let loose. _A Hyde_, Ash's mind supplied unhelpfully.

"Oh! I left 'im in the bathroom! Thought it'd be easier t'clean up in there." Gage informed, pointing in the general direction of the bathroom.

Nodding slowly, Ash walked into the restroom and his eyes went wide again. There was a dead body in the restroom. A _mutilated_ dead body. There were pieces missing from the thighs and chest, the eyes were missing, and the abdominal cavity was open, most of the organs that had been inside also missing. Coming a little closer, Ash realized that the areas where the chunks were missing on the thighs looked an awful lot like someone had-

Suddenly Gage came up behind him and wrapped his arms tightly around Ash's waist. "Like it? He made me think of you. He was little and feisty." Gage buried his face in Ash's neck and nibbled lightly at his racing pulse. "I could never hurt you, but I've wanted to taste you for _sooo_ long." Gage practically whined, lightly biting Ash's shoulder. "Figured pickin' out a little feisty raider boy would be as close as I ever got."

"You ate him." Ash whispered, eyes wide and heart pounding. The thighs looked like an awful lot like someone had bitten them. Bitten them and ripped the chunks right out.

"Daisy helped with the insides. Don't much like organ meat m'self. He was good, though. Had to clean 'im off first, 'course, raiders're so dirty, but it was worth the extra effort." Gage purred, suddenly pressing down on Ash.

Not really having much choice since Gage was stronger than him, Ash dropped to his knees, turning his head to look at Gage as he fell behind him. "Gage, what are y-" He gasped as Gage suddenly caught both of his wrists from behind and pressed him forward, forcing his hands into the lukewarm puddle of blood in the cadaver's abdominal cavity. "Gage-" Ash was interrupted again as Gage pulled back, sitting on the bathroom floor and pulling him onto his lap.

Gage crossed Ash's arms across his chest, bringing one up past his shoulder so he could start licking it clean before wrapping both of his own arms around Ash to hold him in place. Shuddering lightly, Ash let out a slow, uneven breath before turning his head so he could catch Gage's good eye. "Why didn't you tell me you were a cannibal, Gage?" He asked softly, getting a hum in response before Gage let go of the finger he was sucking clean to respond.

"Don't exactly go advertisin' it, babe." He whispered, licking the tip of the finger he'd just cleaned. "Haven't told anyone." Picking a new finger, Gage pulled it into his mouth and started to clean it.

Letting out a slightly more even breath, Ash looked back at the corpse and slowly laid his head back against Gage's shoulder, relaxing in his hold and getting a pleased hum around his finger for it. "How long?"

"Since I was a kid." Gage replied, removing the clean finger from his mouth to do so. "One winter some raider comes to my family's farm solo. Guess maybe he got kicked out of his group or somethin', don't matter. Dad shot 'im. We barely had anythin' but if there'd been more 'an one of 'em, I'm sure my folks would've let us all starve, but since it was just the one." Humming, Gage pulled another finger into his mouth, cleaning it quickly before releasing it to continue talking.

"We barely had anythin', so Mom and Dad made a decision. I didn't know it was wrong, o' course. "Don't eat people" doesn't come up in casual conversation with a kid. I just knew we suddenly had food." Sighing lightly, Gage sucked another finger clean. "Been fightin' the hunger ever since. Only slipped twice before. First an' last time I ever got drunk and first an' last time I ever got high, the hunger made me hunt." Giggling in that unhinged way that now raised goosebumps on Ash's skin, Gage cleaned the last finger on that hand and switched Ash's hands. "But now I done slipped again. Felt so damn good though."

It really was Ash's fault. "Are- do you know how this is going to affect you once the drugs wear off?" Ash asked softly, hoping that Gage would be more mad at him than at himself.

"Last times I felt pretty bad. That was 'fore I became a raider, though, so I think I mostly felt bad for killin' 'em." Gage replied, humming a bit as he thought. "Don't know how I'll feel. Feel real good right now." He said, taking another finger and cleaning it off. "Wanna hold you down and eat you up too, but I can't cuz I love you too much." He growled in Ash's ear, making the younger man shiver. "Never been in love before. Can't lose you."

As Gage pulled another finger into his mouth, Ash pondered the situation he'd accidentally created. He wasn't sure if the way Gage was acting was due to whatever cocktail of drugs he'd taken or "the hunger", but it was almost scary. Ash trusted Gage wouldn't hurt him, of course, even high he was in control of himself enough that he didn't so much as scrape his teeth across Ash's fingers in his cleaning, but Ash didn't like how willing to manhandle him Gage seemed like this. Still, despite what he'd thought earlier, this was **his** Gage. This was Gage's Hyde in the most literal way, he decided, a neglected side of himself suddenly given power, but it was still Gage.

While Ash thought, Gage cleaned, taking the silence as his opportunity to clean Ash's palms and the backs of his hands. He finished up after a bit and simply held Ash close, face buried in one side of his neck. Ash didn't move or speak for awhile and when he finally did, it startled Gage just a little despite the low volume. "Do you think you'll be mad at me?"

Humming, Gage pondered that, rolled it around in his brain and weighed his words on his tongue. "Think I'll be scared." He said finally, kissing Ash's calm pulse. "Think I'll be scared you won't love me no more. Or that you'll be 'fraid of me."

"I'm not afraid of you." Ash whispered, testing Gage's hold and pulling away when Gage allowed him to. He turned and straddled his lap, wrapping his arms around his neck and humming softly as Gage held him tight again. "And I'll never stop loving you."

"You might have to tell me that again when I ain't so high." Gage said, smiling tiredly, his eyelids suddenly very heavy. "But that's real good to know. I love you so much."

"I love you too, Gage." Ash whispered, gently lowering Gage to the floor as he nodded off in his arms. Sighing softly, Ash got up and got his Pip-Boy from the other room. He cleaned it up quickly and then sent for some synths. As much as Ash wanted to, he couldn't physically clean Gage up, so he had the synths who arrived do it, ensuring they knew they'd be headed to the scrap heap if they didn't treat him very delicately. Ash considered getting more synths to clean up the blood and the body, but he decided not to bother yet. Once Gage was cleaned up, Ash had the synths take him to their room and helped them get him dressed before going to take a shower of his own, leaving Gage tucked in bed.

After cleaning himself thoroughly since Gage had been very bloody while holding him, Ash decided to spend some quality time with Nubs. He wasn't sleepy since he'd just woken up from his Jet nap so cat play-time seemed like a nice alternative. If nothing else, it would keep him from dwelling on whether or not Gage would be mad at him when he woke up. It would also, hopefully, keep him from thinking too deeply about how he felt about the new knowledge that Gage was a cannibal.

It was a few hours later when Gage groaned softly and started to sit up in bed. In that time, Nubs had lost interest in Ash and Daisy had tagged in. She'd also decided he was boring after an hour and Ash had spent the last hour or so sitting beside Gage in bed and doodling. Looking over, Ash set his sketchbook aside and held out a can of water for Gage as soon as his gaze landed on him. It took Gage a moment to process the offer, but then he sat up and took the water with a grateful grunt, nursing it slowly while Ash watched anxiously.

Once Gage had finished half the water, he looked over at Ash and frowned a bit at his expression. "S'wrong?" He slurred, still looking and sounding sleepy.

"We got high." Ash replied, deciding not to say more until Gage reacted to that. It took him a moment to process that and when he did, there was a very brief flash of panic in his good eye that he covered by taking a drink from his water. When Gage came back from the water, he looked calm as ever if more awake.

"Yeah, I remember that." He said, taking another sip of water. "You look like it didn't go well."

"You hunted." Ash said quietly, watching as Gage flinched and started to panic. Scooting closer, Ash touched Gage's arm gently. "I-I'm not mad. Or afraid." He said quickly, looking into Gage's eyes as he searched his face for something, seeming to calm down after a bit.

"You're not?" Gage asked softly, still looking and sounding uncertain.

"No, I'm not." Ash confirmed, crawling over and settling himself down on Gage's lap. "You don't remember anything that happened?" Gage swallowed and shook his head, averting his eyes as he slowly wrapped his arms around Ash's waist and pulled him closer. "Well, we talked while you were still high." Ash said, moving again so he was straddling Gage so he could wrap his arms around his neck. "You- well, you sort of admitted you've always wanted to taste me, but you didn't hurt me."

Cringing, Gage looked up at Ash guiltily, an apology on his tongue that Ash smothered with a light peck on his lips. "You didn't hurt me." Ash repeated, stroking a hand down Gage's mohawk. "I knew you wouldn't. I still know you wouldn't."

Swallowing hard, Gage nodded slowly and buried his face gently in Ash's neck. "I'm still sorry you had to find out. Especially like that."

"I'm sorry I convinced you to get high with me." Ash muttered, not looking at Gage when he moved his face to look at him. "If I would've just accepted "no" instead of pushing you-"

"Hey." Gage said sternly, cupping Ash's cheek and forcing him to meet his gaze. "I'm a grown ass man, I can make my own decisions. I'm the one who decided to get high even knowin' what might happen, that wasn't your fault."

"So- you're not mad at me?" Ash asked softly, tightening his hold on Gage's neck when he kissed him gently.

"No." Gage replied once he pulled away, sweeping his thumb gently over Ash's cheek. "I ain't mad at you."

"Or at yourself?" Ash asked, frowning when Gage pursed his lips and looked away. "Gage, you-you don't have to keep hiding it." He whispered, moving his hands down to lightly rub Gage's chest. "I've been thinking about it all night and I don't mind if you wanna eat people. I don't really get it, but I'm not gonna judge you for it."

Glancing at Ash out of the corner of his good eye, Gage shifted a bit. "I- you'd do that for me? Let me-" He swallowed, looking away again. "-let me feed the hunger?" Gage had never been in a safe enough environment to even consider feeding the hunger regularly. It wasn't safe to hunt alone and cannibalism was taboo even in most raider circles, so Gage had taken to ignoring it his whole life. If he was honest with himself, the prospect of getting to eat human regularly was- enticing, to say the least.

"Of course, love." Ash said, cupping Gage's cheek and smiling gently at him. "I want you to be happy. You shouldn't have to hide who you are, especially from me." Grinning slightly, Ash's voice suddenly became playful. "Especially since we're married now."

Eyes widening, Gage looked at Ash in shock. "We-" His eyes narrowed as he recognized Ash's tone and that smile. "No. No, I-" He pursed his lips and racked his brain, ignoring the way Ash laughed at his look of concentration. "I sorta remember that, we didn't make it official. It was just one of your weird, random questions."

"You called me "wifey", that made it official." Ash replied, suddenly sounding quite serious even as he kept smiling. "You're my closet cannibal raider husband and I'm your emotionally unstable raider wife." He hooked one arm around Gage's neck, pulling him close and stretching his other arm out, fingers splayed dramatically. "We're a power couple." He whispered, smiling happily when he got a laugh out of Gage and the older man pushed him away.

"You're fuckin' crazy." Gage said, shaking his head but still smiling. "Hell, alright. If you really think you ain't gonna come to your senses one day and upgrade from my old ass, we'll make it official."

Frowning deeply, Ash cupped Gage's face, suddenly actually serious. "Gage Reeves, I have never known happiness like spending time with you. I'm not settling for you, I'm choosing you." He said, more serious than Gage had ever seen him. "I love you. I **want** to spend the rest of my life with you. Even if we never actually make it official. I'm in this for the long haul, Gage."

Letting out a slow breath, Gage pulled Ash into a tender kiss. Several long minutes later, he pulled away slowly and offered Ash a soft smile. "Guess I'll just have to get used to thinkin' of myself as a worthwhile husband." He said softly, smiling when Ash nodded once firmly.

"You better. I won't have anyone talking bad about you, especially not you."

Laughing softly, Gage nodded. "Alright, calm down. You're gonna make me blush."

Smiling, Ash bumped his nose against Gage's. "Good. I like it when you blush."

Shaking his head, Gage pulled Ash close and rested his head on top of the shorter man's. After a bit of just sitting there, Gage spoke up again. "So- you're sure about this? 'Bout all of it? Wantin' to marry me and- the other thing?"

"I am." Ash answered easily, not moving out from under Gage. "I'm gonna make an honest man out of you and you're going to indulge the hunger whenever it strikes you. Fuck knows there's enough raider camps out in the 'Wealth for you to get your fill of little feisty raider boys."

Cringing, Gage laughed uncomfortably. "Is that what I said?"

"Mmhm." Ash hummed, pulling away to motion at the door. "I left him in the restroom in your old room. I wasn't sure if you were done with him."

"I'm definitely done with him." Gage said, pausing and shifting again. "I think I'd like to see him, though. Before you have someone clean him up."

"Okay." Ash replied easily, getting off of Gage and following him into the restroom of his old room. He watched curiously as Gage looked upon the carnage, looking grim.

"I see why I picked him. He-he looks alot like you." Gage paused, taking a breath. "You- you're sure this don't bother you?" He asked, looking over at Ash. "Knowin' that sometimes when I look at you, I see somethin' I'd like to eat."

"I'm sure." Ash confirmed, looking down at the corpse. "It's sort of flattering, actually. It seems like you're a very picky eater."

Snorting, Gage looked away, shaking his head. "Of course you'd find _this_ flatterin'. Good lord." Sighing, Gage suddenly pulled Ash close, kissing the top of his head. "I fuckin' love you. Have I mentioned that lately?"

Smiling, Ash leaned into Gage, too trapped to hug him back but nuzzling against him as best he could. "Maybe, but I like hearing it." He replied playfully, smiling when Gage chuckled and squeezed him briefly. "And I love you too, by the way." After everything that Gage had witnessed, after all the things he'd learned about Ash, he still loved him. Ash knew he loved him. That had made the decision an easy one once Ash had actually stopped to think about it. He wouldn't lose Gage over something as silly as what he ate and he certainly wouldn't stop loving him over it.

After a bit of hugging, Gage released Ash, glancing at the raider corpse one last time and grimacing before turning fully away from it. "You can have someone clean that up now if you want."

Nodding, Ash put the order into his Pip-Boy and took Gage by the hand in order to lead him back to their room. They got settled on the couch and their children quickly joined them, Nubs taking Ash's lap and Daisy taking Gage's. After a nice bit of silence, Ash spoke up quietly. "So, I sort of have a secret too." He glanced up to see Gage eyeing him with a frown and looked back down at the happy cat in his lap. "Do you remember when Daisy hatched and I let her bite my lip?"

"Yeah." Gage said slowly, frown becoming more pronounced.

"I've- sort of been able to see in the dark since that happened." Ash mumbled, glancing at Gage again and cringing at his wide-eyed surprise. "I didn't tell you cuz I didn't wanna go to the doctor again." He admitted, looking away once again. "But I also started feeling different so I thought I should tell you before something happens."

"Different how?" Gage demanded, realizing his tone was a bit harsh when Ash sort of shrank into himself.

Sighing, Ash set Nubs aside and got up. "Follow me." He said, walking out onto the balcony.

After allowing Daisy to scramble up to his shoulders when he tried to move her, Gage followed Ash, watching him warily. "I'm not gonna like this, am I?"

"Probably not." Ash admitted, climbing onto the railing of the balcony and swatting Gage's hand away when he reached for him. "Just watch. I'll be fine." He assured, lowering himself into a crouch and looking up. Gage realized what Ash was about to do but couldn't stop him before Ash jumped up, getting surprising height and easily catching the railing of the balcony above his head. He watched as Ash hauled himself up with little trouble and then leaned over the balcony railing a bit so he could crane his neck up. Gage couldn't see Ash though, and that was concerning.

"Stay there, I have more." Ash called from above, Gage faintly hearing the sound of his footsteps getting further away.

Frowning anxiously, Gage straightened up and waited for something else to happen. Suddenly Ash ran past him, Gage watching in shocked horror as the teen leapt onto the railing he was in front of and launched himself all the way to the balcony on the other side of the massive gap between the two points. He didn't land gracefully, rolling a bit once he cleared the railing and hit the floor, but he sat up quickly and poked his head over the railing so Gage would know for sure he was at least still alive.

Ash, for his part, couldn't tell what kind of expression Gage had on, but he had a feeling he was about to be in for it. When Gage stormed off their balcony and disappeared, Ash sank down, sitting against the railing and deciding to just stay there. Gage was a heavy sleeper when they were in Sanctum and Ash had been having a hard time sleeping lately, so he'd been exercising at night while Gage rested. He'd figured out his body was changing during one of his exercising sessions and he'd been exploring what he could do since then. Keeping the secret from Gage was part of the reason he was stressed enough to want to get high. That and the _other_ secret he was keeping, the reason he was having a hard time sleeping.

"You better be alright so I can strangle you!" Gage yelled from the entrance of the room, Ash hearing his stomping footsteps getting closer to the balcony. He briefly entertained the idea of jumping the railing and taking his chances with the drop, but decided to shrink into himself instead, pulling his legs close to his chest and waiting for Gage to appear, decidedly pissed, in the entrance to the balcony. When he saw Ash curled up, though, his face softened somewhat. "Are you hurt?" He asked, surprisingly gently.

"No." Ash muttered, watching Gage as he knelt beside him.

"Please tell me you ain't been doin' shit like that while I ain't been lookin'." Gage said, clearly still angry but trying not to sound so harsh.

"I haven't been." Ash assured, releasing his legs in order to cross them and looking down at his lap. "But I haven't been sleeping very good so I've been exercising at night and that's how I figured out I could jump like that."

"Why haven't you been sleepin' good?" Gage asked softly, sitting down and taking one of Ash's hands gently. When Ash didn't answer for a solid minute, Gage gently squeezed the hand he was holding and used his free hand to get Ash to look at him, frowning when Ash still wouldn't meet his gaze. "Darlin', you know you can tell me. After what you just found out about me, after what you just **accepted** about me, I ain't in any position to judge you."

"I'm not afraid you'll judge me, I just don't want you to worry." Ash mumbled, pulling his face from Gage and looking at his lap again. He sighed deeply and gave Gage's hand a gentle squeeze. "I've been having nightmares." When Gage didn't reply for a bit, Ash looked over and he saw that Gage looked perplexed.

"I-" Gage started, frowning and seeming to mull over his words before trying again. "Look, I ain't tryin' to seem insensitive or nothin', but I ain't never met a raider who didn't have nightmares. **I** have 'em just about every night. It just comes with the life."

Sighing again, Ash looked back down at his lap. "I keep having the _same_ nightmare everytime I sleep. And it started happening the night my eyes started glowing."

"Oh. Yeah, I see why you think I'd be worried." Gage said, sounding oddly calm.

Raising an eyebrow, Ash glanced over in confusion, seeing that Gage looked as calm as he sounded. "_Are_ you worried?"

"Oh, yeah, for sure." Gage replied, letting go of Ash's hand. "What with the whole reason your eyes started glowin' in the first place bein' because of radiation and all that. I'm kinda freakin' out a little."

"You don't _sound_ like you're freaking out." Ash replied, trying not to but smiling a little as he looked at Gage fully.

"Tryin' to keep it in." Gage said, standing and pulling Ash to his feet. "We're gonna go see Dr. Amari now."

Yanking his hands away, Ash glared at Gage. "No."

"Boss-" Gage started tiredly, getting interrupted by Ash.

"No! No, don't _boss_ me, I'm not going!" Ash shouted, mimicking Gage's tone and accent on "boss". "She's just gonna talk forever like last time and then tell me what I already know! Blah blah radiation, blah blah deathclaw spit, blah blah trauma." He mocked, crossing his arms over his chest. "I'm not going." Gage narrowed his eyes.

"Well, the physical symptoms are definitely due to the deathclaw saliva interacting with your mutated cells." Amari said, looking down at her clipboard instead of at the grumpy teenager sitting across from her. It had taken a full hour for Gage to argue and barter Ash into submission but he'd managed. "I've heard rumors of things like this happening, but I've never seen it myself or really even believed it was possible." Amari continued, finally looking up but looking at Gage instead of Ash.

"Suppose that means you won't be able to tell me if he'll be alright or not." Gage said, sighing a bit when Amari looked apologetic and shook her head.

"The only thing I can do is tell you to keep monitoring him. If the only thing that comes from this new mutation is enhanced physical abilities, I don't imagine that's a cause for much concern, but there's no standard for anything like this." Amari replied, finally looking at Ash. "As for the dreams, they may very well be caused by trauma, or they may be another symptom of the mutations."

"Helpful. Thank you." Ash muttered sarcastically, getting a sigh from Amari and a nudge from Gage. He'd agreed to do this, he'd never agreed to be pleasant.

"Yes, well, since you refuse to tell me about the dreams and insist you haven't been through anything to trigger what they're about, there's little else I can do for you." Amari said, a slight annoyed tone starting to chip away at her thus far professional demeanor.

"Well, that's that, then." Ash declared, getting up and setting his customary pouch of caps on the table beside the chair he was in.

Shooting Amari an apologetic look and a grateful nod, Gage followed Ash out of the office and then out of the Memory Den. Once they were outside, Ash stopped abruptly and Gage nearly bumped into him. "Boss, wha-" Suddenly Ash grabbed Gage by the collar of his jacket and forced him to look where he was looking. Over towards the end of the street near the Hotel Rexford, there was a bit of a crowd gathered around a Handy robot that was currently giving someone a tattoo.

"Think post-apocalyptic tattoo robots are sanitary?" Ash asked, shooting Gage and excited look, his mood having completely turned around from being in Amari's office.

Blinking in surprise, Gage brushed Ash's hand off his collar and gave a shrug. "Probably not but if the Pack can ink up like they do without all dyin' of infection, I think you oughta be fine."

"We." Ash corrected, grinning at Gage. He had officially decided to stop wearing his mask, though he still carried it with him, having decided he no longer cared if people realized how young he was and that he liked that Gage liked being able to see his face. "We're gonna get matching tattoos instead of rings."

"Oh." Gage said, flushing a bit and looking away. "Alright."

"Really?" Ash asked excitedly, face lighting up.

Chuckling softly, Gage nodded, smiling fondly at Ash. "Yeah, let's do it. What'd ya have in mind?"

"Something simple." Ash replied, looking back towards the crowd. "Somewhere visible." He hummed in thought before taking Gage's hand and leading him up to the crowd. Once one person noticed him, the crowd shifted apart so he and Gage could pass and Ash noticed a woman standing near a sign advertising the tattoo robot and showing prices. He caught her eye and she grinned at him, motioning him over.

"Lookin' t'get inked up?" She asked, her voice thick with a typical Boston accent.

Coming closer with Gage, Ash nodded. "We both want one."

"Tight." The woman said, taking a book from behind the sign and handing it to Ash. "These are all the designs it's got pre-set. I can also program designs into it if you wanna combine designs or have somethin' of your own. Custom designs are tricky, though. No refunds if it don't come out the way you were hopin'."

Taking the book, Ash flipped it open and started going over the designs, glancing over them and waiting for one to pop out at him. He didn't get far before an infinity symbol did just that and he paused, humming a bit. Looking over, Ash pointed at the small symbol. "What about this?" He asked, looking up at Gage.

"It's neat lookin', I guess." Gage said, shrugging.

"It means "forever"." Ash informed, grinning when Gage started to flush again. "This is perfect." He told the woman, pointing out the design and handing the book back. "We want them in black and I want mine to say "Gage" under it and his to say "Ash" under it."

"Can do." The woman said, motioning them over to the robot who'd finished with the patron it had been tattooing and was now hovering idly. "I'll put in the command and as soon as you confirm it looks right, you can pick where you want it and the machine'll get started." She said, walking over and typing at a small keypad on the side of the robot.

Taking Gage's hand again, Ash led the older man over and turned to look at him, placing a finger on his chest right about where the charm of a necklace would lay if he were so inclined to wear one. "I was thinking of putting them here." He informed, smiling up at Gage's red face.

Seeming unable to find his voice as he tried not to think of all the people seeing the big bad Overboss of the Commonwealth act like the romantic he was behind closed doors, Gage simply nodded.

One of the Handy's eyes blinked and then a projection of Ash's tattoo appeared. He looked at it against his hand and smiled. "That's perfect." He confirmed, pointing to where he wanted it.

"Alright. Just hold still and the machine'll do its thing." The woman said, typing in a few more commands and then motioning Gage over to another arm as the one got started on Ash. Once Gage moved into position, she showed him his design and he gave it a nod of approval.

"Same spot." He muttered, sliding his hands into his jacket pockets so he didn't fidget while just standing there.

Giving Gage a nod, the woman put in the final commands and then stepped aside, going back over to her sign while the Handy's other arm got to work on Gage. Ash was taking the rapid pokes of the needle while the machine inked him like a champ, not so much as grimacing. He rather liked the small repeated pricks of pain, though, so that helped. Gage let out a hiss at the first few rapid stabs but then bit the inside of his cheek to keep from making any more noise as he was inked as well. He'd never even considered getting a tattoo before now. Life was too short, there wasn't any point. But, it was hard for him to say no to Ash. Especially when the prospect of getting one had instantly put Ash into such a good mood.

The tattoos were completed all too quickly for Ash and took far too long for Gage, but eventually they were finished. Ash craned his neck to look at his and then looked at Gage's and his grin was almost as bright as his eyes. "Perfect." He said happily, getting out the required caps and handing them off to the woman. Ash had already calculated how much the tattoos would be based on the prices on the sign and had included a generous tip. He knew how Gage felt about his habit of overpaying people, but it wasn't like he needed all the caps he had. It was one of the things they just had to disagree on.

"Pleasure doin' business witcha!" The woman said chipperly, shaking the pouch and grinning before putting it away. "If you ever decide you want another, I travel between most of the outposts in your turf so you'd prolly be able to find me that way." She informed, shrugging when Ash gave her a surprised look. He'd assumed based on her friendly attitude and lack of fear that she didn't know who he was. "Raiders're good for business. 'Specially the colorful ones. I think they call themselves the Pack? Man, they practically keep me in business." She said, laughing a bit.

"Right." Ash said, suddenly very stuck on the fact that he was a recognizable figure. "I'll keep that in mind." He reached back and caught Gage's hand without looking, triggering the relay and taking his hat off to run his fingers through his hair once they were inside Sanctum. "Gage, am I famous?" Ash suddenly asked, looking up at Gage with a frown.

"Uh, infamous, more like, but yeah, I guess so." Gage responded, raising an eyebrow at Ash. "I mean, look at everythin' you done, boss. The only people who gossip worse than raiders are caravans. At this point, I'd be shocked if even people outside the Commonwealth didn't know your name."

"Holy shit." Ash muttered, having never thought about it before and now realizing Gage was most likely right. "I'm like a legit king or some shit. This is my kingdom." He muttered, not catching the confused look on Gage's face as everything hit him all at once.

"Hell of a time to realize that considerin' it's been **months**." Gage said, coming closer and brushing some hair out of Ash's face. "You alright?" He asked softly, pulling Ash close and looking a bit concerned for the shocked expression on Ash's face.

"Yeah, I just- I guess I never realized-" Letting out a sigh, Ash started to look up at Gage but his gaze was caught by the tattoo on his chest. Smiling a bit, Ash pulled away from Gage and led him by the hand into the infirmary part of Sanctum. "I'm alright." He said more firmly, pushing Gage to sit on one of the beds and fetching some bandages and antibiotic from a cabinet.

"You sure?" Gage pressed, watching Ash as he gently smeared some paste on his tattoo and then covered it with a large bandage.

"I'm sure." Ash confirmed, starting to do the same for his own tattoo but stopping when Gage reached up to take over. He smiled as Gage returned the favor and then hugged his husband, oh, and he was never going to get tired of saying **that** now, tightly. "I just hadn't really thought about it until now. I'll get used to people recognizing me like me that eventually."

"It ain't like that's the first time that's happened." Gage said, smiling in amusement at Ash now that he was sure Ash wasn't having a crisis over it or something.

"Yeah, but it was only ever settlers who recognized me before and that made sense; I was taking settlements, they were in danger. For some random wastelander to recognize me-" Ash cut off, frowning a bit at how utterly amused by all this Gage was. "Shut up." He muttered, straddling Gage's lap and continuing to hug him. "We're supposed to be honeymooning right now, not talking about our infamy."

"Honeymoonin'?" Gage asked, eyes widening and face going red again when Ash whispered what exactly that usually entailed in his ear.

"_Buuut_," Ash started slowly, starting to pull away from Gage with a sly grin. "I know how you feel about pre-war traditions, so if you'd rather just skip it, I-" His teasing words were cut off by a squeal of joy as Gage suddenly picked him up and started carrying him upstairs.

"Oh no, I think this is one tradition I can get behind." Gage replied, grinning at Ash who was clinging to him and smiling one of the prettiest smiles Gage had ever seen in his life. "Gotta make us officially husband and wife, right?" He asked, remembering how Ash had called himself his wife and seeing the evidence that he indeed liked it with how Ash's face turned as red as his own. Gage wasn't sure why Ash liked being called his wife instead of his husband, but he didn't mind and if Ash liked it, he minded it even less.

Once they reached the bedroom, Gage fell into the bed with Ash still tangled up in his arms and they got to work consummating their marriage, both of them forgetting all about the stresses of the past day or so in exchange for focusing on eachother.

* * *

Chapter Specific Characters: Skye, Porter Gage, Dr. Amari

Chapter Specific Tags/Warnings: cannibalism, blood drinking, bloodplay, finger-sucking, tattoos

Author's Note: This chapter kicked my ass! It took me forever to figure out how to get it between the three major plot points! Gah! I did it though! I fuckin' did it! Time to play some Skyrim to celebrate! Haha!


	31. Harbinger

Chapter Specific Characters: Mysterious Cloaked Figure, Gage Reeves

Chapter Specific Tags/Warnings: alternative self-harm, dream sequence

* * *

The methodical _drip, drip, drip_ of liquid hitting stone roused Ash from his slumber and his eyes slowly opened. He was in a cave, deep underground. How he knew that, he wasn't sure. Ash sat up slowly. It was unusually warm inside the cave for being so deep underground and he'd been curled up on the warm cave floor. Slowly, Ash stood up. His legs shook but supported him. There was enough light in the cave for Ash to see but he couldn't tell where the light was coming from. It sort of just _was_. For some reason, that didn't strike him as odd and he began to walk further into the cave.

Ash was suddenly aware of a taste in the back of his throat now that he was more awake. It was sweet, bordering on sickening, but with a disgusting undertone like something rotten. When Ash tried to swallow, he realized his mouth was quite sticky. That wasn't concerning for some reason. Soon there was no light for Ash's eyes to reflect in order for him to see, but he kept walking, blind but not giving any thought to the familiar weight of his Pip-Boy on his wrist.

The feeling of moving further down was the only thing Ash could process for a time and just as the lack of stimulation began to weigh on him, he heard a sound. It was then that Ash realized he wasn't making any sound, his heels not clicking at all against the stone he was walking on. He stopped, ears straining to catch the noise again so he could identify it. After what felt like hours, it came again, far away and impossibly pleasant, a voice calling his name.

Suddenly Ash realized he was cold. It was like all the warmth in the cave had been collected and tossed into the area he'd woken up in and there was none left to fill the void he was now traversing. Well, there wasn't any going back, he could only go forward. Why? He didn't know that either. Continuing his descent, Ash's eyes were suddenly caught by something. Light. Faint and blue and _thrumming_. His steps quickened just a bit and the closer to the light he got, the warmer he got. Soon, he was bathed in dim blue light and felt pleasantly warm and then he finally saw something else, the source of the light.

Up ahead, there was a figure standing before an alter of stone so dark it appeared to pull light in and yet it also appeared to be emanating that blue light. The figure wore a black cloak that covered their body entirely and then they spoke his name again, much more clearly now that they were so close. "Ash." The voice was strong, deep, and decidedly feminine. It struck Ash as familiar even as he was certain everything about this situation was the most alien thing he'd ever experienced.

Still, Ash approached, unafraid even as he logically felt he should be. "What do you want?" He heard himself ask the question even as he was certain the sticky feeling in his mouth wouldn't have allowed him to speak. And what an odd question to lead with, anyway. Perhaps he hadn't asked it. It had been his voice, though. Well, what did it matter, he supposed.

"A harbinger." The cloaked figure replied, spreading her arms wide, the arms of the cloak still keeping any part of her hidden.

Suddenly Ash found himself lying atop the alter, the thrumming vibrating him down to his very bones but feeling oddly comforting. The warmth was much more intense up close, as well, almost unpleasant, but not quite due to the stone being absolutely frigid, like the light around the stone was warm but the stone itself could hold no warmth. "What's happening?" He asked, certain this time that his mouth hadn't moved even as he heard his voice echoing slightly within the cave.

"A blessing." The figure said, toneless and yet somehow comforting. "With it, you will become my harbinger."

"Why me?" Ash asked softly, the blue light slowly leaving the room along with the warmth. At first Ash thought it was being absorbed by the stone, but the stone wasn't getting any warmer. He was, though. Much warmer. The light was being absorbed by him.

"You are a force of destruction. You will wield my blessing as it is meant to be wielded. You will be a worthy harbinger."

The room was completely dark again and cold once more, but Ash felt like he was burning up. It wasn't uncomfortable, though. "What must I do?" He was certain he'd never phrase that question quite like that. Who was using his voice? Were his thoughts even his own? They did seem rather floaty. Almost-

"You must find me."

_-dreamlike_

Flinching hard, Ash's eyes shot open and he found himself wrapped in Gage's arms in their bed in Sanctum, exactly where he'd fallen asleep. His sudden jerk didn't disturb Gage at all and the only thing that happened when Ash slipped quietly from the bed was the older man taking a pillow hostage to replace the warm body he'd been snuggling. The sight made Ash want to smile, but the dream he'd been having since The Island was still fresh in his mind and made the action impossible.

Grabbing a can of water on the way out, Ash left the room and made his way briskly to Sanctum's gymnasium. He decided like he had pretty much every night that if he wasn't going to get any sleep, and he wasn't, there was no falling back asleep once the dream had woken him up, then he might as well exercise. Gaining his pre-war weight back was one thing, but Ash didn't want to get fat, even though Gage sometimes commented on how cute Ash would look with a belly. Sometimes Ash didn't understand his husband.

That thought put a bit of a smile on Ash's face even as he set his half-empty can of water on one of the benches against the wall and walked over to the large part of the gym set aside for synth training. There were only a few pieces of equipment or machines that had actually been meant to be used by the human inhabitants of the Institute. The part of the gym that Ash liked using was considerably more intense than the weight sets and treadmills on the other side of the gym.

A rock wall, monkey bars, rope swings, shifting platforms, and more all littered with booby traps were on or suspended above a thickly padded area for when someone inevitably got punched in the gut or lost their footing and fell from one of the sets. From what Ash had learned the one time he'd caught a synth in there cleaning it, it was to train agility, endurance, and reflexes. Ash just thought it was fun. More fun than running laps and lifting weights, anyway.

After lightly padding his hands so he wouldn't get rope burn when he got to that part of the course, Ash started on the rock wall. The machinery in the walls that powered the booby traps hummed to life the moment Ash got his weight onto one of the pegs coming out of the wall and provided a calming white noise for Ash to blank his mind with. He'd been punched by the rock wall before for not paying attention, after all, so a blank mind was best. The pistons that came out where padded, but that didn't mean much considering they came out so quickly that they bruised no matter what. Luckily he hadn't broken anything yet and a stimpak took care of the bruises so Gage never knew.

There was a click far too close to Ash and he quickly moved to his left, narrowly avoiding getting punched in the ribs. Continuing left and upwards and dodging many more punches, Ash eventually made it to the rope swings. If he hesitated too long jumping from the wall to a rope, he'd get punched right in the gut so, even though he was already breathing fairly hard, Ash jumped, catching a rope and sliding a bit before he got enough of a grip to halt his momentum.

Huffing softly, Ash started swinging, transferring ropes until he finally got close enough to the shifting platforms to dismount. The first platform slid a little on its track and Ash wobbled, but he carried on. Standing for too long on the platforms triggered more booby traps, these ones designed to trip or throw. The next platform spun but it only took a single rotation for Ash to get off and onto the next one which tilted dangerously to one side the moment his feet landed on it. He fell, landing hard on his ass on the padding under the platforms.

After laying there for a minute, Ash got up and started again, shaking off his slightly sore arms before starting to scale the rock wall. He was more than halfway across when he took too long to plot his next course and got a grazing punch to his jaw, just hard and sudden enough to make him lose his balance and fall from the wall. Ash could feel himself starting to get annoyed but he got up, starting at the wall again.

Anger fueling him, Ash made it to the platforms again, the first one being the one that tilted dangerously now. He didn't fall that time, though, jumping just before his feet could start sliding and making it to a platform that dipped and sprang back up when he landed on it. The momentum almost sent him flying, but he dropped into a crouch in time to catch his footing. Then he heard a click and had to move quickly to the next platform before the one he was on tried to throw him.

Finally making it past the platforms after a couple more close calls, Ash leapt from the platforms and to the monkey bars. His hands _almost_ slipped but he clenched his fists tightly at the last second and managed to get moving before the pistons in the wall punched out to hit where he'd been. Once he was past the monkey bars, Ash's arms were sore, he was breathing heavily, and covered in thin sheen of sweat, but he wasn't done yet. Going from the monkey bars to a platform barely wide enough to support him, Ash started on the next part of the course.

Pedestals ranging from the size of a dinner plate to a teacup were spread out, some within stepping range, some in jumping range, all at slightly different heights and set to first shake and then collapse if they were stepped on for too long. Ash made it halfway through before miscalculating a jump and landing too close to the edge of one of the pedestals. He wobbled and couldn't catch his balance before the pedestal itself started to shake. Losing his balance, Ash fell to the floor, his ass joining the collection of sore parts of his body as it hit the thick padding once again.

Unbeknownst to Ash as he restarted, Gage was watching from the doorway, having been watching since the beginning. From where Gage was, Ash looked tired, almost exhausted, but he also looked so determined to reach the end of the course, whichever part of the course that was. On the one hand, Gage wanted to interrupt him, stop him before he hurt himself from pushing too hard, and on the other hand, Ash probably needed this. In the end, for the moment at least, Gage decided to keep watching.

After almost wiping out on the platforms twice and then on the pedestals again, Ash made it to the rings hanging from ropes on the ceiling. Unlike the other ropes, which got shorter and further apart the longer he stayed on one, these ones were set to open their rings if they were held for too long. Luckily, they were all about the same distance apart so it was really just a matter of being fast enough and getting his blurry vision to focus.

By some miracle, despite feeling like he was going to drop from how hard his heart was beating, Ash made it to the final part of the course. A laser grid that flashed on the moment Ash stepped onto the rubber mat marking the start. Most of the lasers were red and those ones burned if he touched them. Touch three red lasers and the grid shut off. Some of the lasers, though, were green, and those ones triggered the grid to change, almost guaranteeing that he would get hit by at least one red laser once the grid was rearranged. Ash had never hit more than one green laser before having the course shut off on him, so he didn't know if there was a limit to those.

There wasn't any taking his time on this one either because the longer the course detected someone was using it, the more lasers turned green. Almost immediately Ash got burned by a red laser and bit back a curse. It didn't hurt that bad despite being hot enough to leave a mark, but that meant he could only hit one more before having to start over. Trying to move carefully but quickly, Ash got halfway across before losing his balance while trying to support the bulk of his weight on his shaky arms and hit a green laser. The grid changed and Ash instantly got his by three red lasers at once on different parts of his body, the course shutting off before he even had a chance to hiss in pain.

Dropping down, Ash groaned loudly. Could he take another go around? Rolling over and holding his arms up, Ash watched them tremble for a bit before dropping them. His heart was also beating _really_ fast, a mix of adrenaline and exhaustion making it hurt a bit. That wasn't even to mention how sore his legs were. Letting out a shaky breath, Ash got up and moved back to the rock wall, shaking his hands off again before picking a place to start. Before he could even grab the wall, his legs were swept out from under him and he was being carried away from the course.

"Nope." Gage said, not seeming to care how sweaty Ash was as he carried him from the gym.

"Wh- Gage, what are you-?" Ash started, trying to wiggle out of Gage's arms.

"Stoppin' you from hurtin' yourself." Gage interrupted while shifting Ash so he was carrying him over his shoulder instead of in his arms. "Shakin' like a fuckin' leaf and tryin' to start that shit up again. You'd've been lucky to even get your little ass up onto that wall again let alone across it." He said, walking up the stairs while Ash struggled weakly in his grip. "And then what? You'd've tried to start again? How hard ya gotta be shakin' before you listen to your own body?" Gage demanded, making it to their room and depositing Ash onto the couch much less gently than he could have.

Crossing his arms over his chest, Gage matched Ash's glare. "You can't keep exhaustin' yourself every night cuz you have a bad dream. That's gonna make you sloppy and you're gonna get us both killed." Gage had been gently prying for weeks since their visit to Dr. Amari, trying to get Ash to tell him what his dream was about and backing off every time because Ash got weird about it and it didn't seem worth an argument, but enough was enough.

Glare faltering, Ash looked away from Gage. That unstable part of his mind was screaming at him to fire back, to use his words where he knew they would hurt Gage the most and it was taking alot not to listen. Logically he knew Gage was right, but Ash had never been logical. He'd been ruled by his emotions, or lack thereof, all his life, and his emotions were angry at being manhandled and annoyed at being scolded and frustrated that Gage _didn't understand_ that it wasn't _just a dream_, it was **more**.

Sitting up slowly, Ash scooted as far away from Gage as the couch would allow and continued to glare at the cushions, trying hard to get a handle on himself. He pulled his sore legs up to his aching chest and held them with his trembling arms and knew again, logically, that Gage was right. This was just another form of self-harm that he'd been losing himself in since he didn't know how to deal with the uneasy, sometimes dreadful, feelings the dream always left him with.

Luckily, it seemed Gage recognized a brewing tantrum when he caused one and he waited quietly while Ash fought himself down. Eventually he was feeling stable enough to not instantly go for the throat and let out a slow breath. "You don't understand." He mumbled into his arms, still refusing to look at Gage. "I've been having nightmares since I thawed out. I can ignore nightmares. This is different."

"Different how?" Gage pressed, his voice considerably more gentle as he sat down facing Ash. "If you'd just tell me what the damn dream is about, I might be able to help."

Scoffing more harshly than he'd meant to, which made him flinch, Ash shot Gage a glare, the look only a little less harsh than withering. "So you're a therapist now?" He asked sarcastically, stuck firmly between still angry and already regretting his tone.

Giving Ash a tired look, Gage reached out but thought better of it at the last minute and retracted his hand, sighing. "I'm just tryin' to help you. You know that."

Getting nudged more towards regretting his tone, Ash looked away again, chewing the inside of his cheek a bit before speaking again. "I know." He mumbled, tone gentler now. "I-I'll tell you about the dream. Just- let me get cleaned up first. Clear my head." Ash glanced up, getting a nod from Gage and slowly unfurling to head to the bathroom.

Under the too-hot spray of the shower, Ash was able to think somewhat clearly. He understood why Gage was so concerned, really he did, but he couldn't imagine that talking about the dream was going to make anything better. Still, he'd been acting like a brat and Gage didn't deserve that. Gage really deserved better than him. Shaking his head before he could convince himself to do something stupid, Ash quickly finished scrubbing the sweat from his body and cut the water off. Gage had chosen him like Ash had chosen Gage, there wasn't any room for deserving better. 'Til death do they part and all that.

Nodding firmly to himself in the mirror after he'd dried off, Ash suddenly realized his eyes looked sunken, the skin under them dark from lack of sleep. Frowning deeply, Ash looked into his own eyes for a bit before sighing and looking away. Even though it was highly unlikely to change anything let alone actually help, it was time. Leaving the restroom, Ash pulled on a baggy pair of pants and joined Gage on the couch, turning about and laying his head on the older man's lap before he could say anything.

"Pet me?" Ash asked softly, glancing up at Gage long enough to see his look of surprise morph into an uncertain smile. Once Gage started running his fingers through his still-damp hair, Ash closed his eyes and tried to relax. "So, the dream always starts with me waking up inside a cave." He started, keeping his eyes closed for the entire retelling and only opening them once he'd finished. "And then I wake up."

Frowning, Gage nodded slowly. "That's definitely- different." He muttered, still running his fingers through Ash's hair, almost unconsciously at this point.

"No kidding." Ash muttered back, still not looking at Gage even though his eyes were open. "I mean, it has to **mean** something, right? It started when my eyes started glowing and it's been happening since." He said, frowning deeply. "But at the same time, dreams are just dreams. They can't **mean** something, that's stupid." Ash knew he was raising his voice, but Gage had pulled the pin from the grenade, as it were, and he couldn't really stop himself. "And if it does mean something, why me? What would chose someone like me as their "harbinger"? There has to be someone else more qualified! I'm just-" A sharp tug on his hair made Ash shut up and look up at Gage in confused surprise.

"Calm down, darlin'." Gage said softly, running his hand gently over Ash's head to soothe the sting of getting his hair pulled. "The dream started happenin' when we went to The Island, so maybe it was just somethin' one of those Children of Atom nuts said that triggered it."

Letting out a slow breath, Ash nodded a bit. That made sense. Yeah, that- "Wait, I had the dream the night we first went to The Island, that was before we met the Children." Ash contradicted, brow furrowing again. He watched as Gage seemed to be going over the timeline in his head and then he frowned too.

"Shit. You're right." He mumbled, scowling a bit and looking like he was racking his brain.

"Maybe the Children were onto something." Ash muttered, looking away when Gage looked down at him incredulously. "The one said I was blessed by Atom and I haven't reacted to radiation the same since my eyes started glowing. Maybe-maybe Atom's real?" He whispered the last part, looking up at Gage again and frowning when he didn't look as certain as he'd been hoping.

"I mean- I guess it wouldn't be the weirdest thing I ever heard." Gage mumbled, scratching at his stubble in contemplation. "I, uh- that is-" He made a frustrated sound, pursing his lips a bit before just spitting out what he was trying to say. "D'ya believe in ghosts?"

Snorting, Ash started to laugh but quickly stopped and shrunk back a bit when Gage shot him a look and he realized he was serious. "No? I mean, come on, Gage. Ghosts? I'm having a hard enough time with maybe-divine beings over here."

Sighing, Gage looked away, looking annoyed. "Yeah, I know how it sounds, but I seen a ghost before. I know they exist." He grumbled, removing his hand from Ash's head when he sat up.

"Where?" Ash asked, curious now as he faced Gage.

"There's this old "haunted house" back in Nuka-World. It's mostly just stupid, not even the kinda thing that'd scare a kid, but I went there one time on a stupid dare and-" Gage paused, frowning and rubbing the back of his neck. "-and there was this little girl. The whole time she stayed a step ahead of me and the idiots I was there with. We finally reached the end, me expectin' to find some little dumbass kid the others'd paid to spook me, but-" He sighed, looking over at Ash and looking a mix of embarrassed and annoyed. "She vanished. Disappeared behind a door with a brick wall behind it. The idiots I was with were as shaken up as I was and we turned that fuckin' house inside-out lookin' for some fancy pre-war shit to explain it." Gage looked away again, shaking his head. "Didn't find shit. I ain't been back since."

"Huh." Ash breathed, sitting back and slowly running a hand through his hair. "So- if ghosts are real- maybe radiation gods are real too."

"If I was gonna believe any god let the war happen in the first place, I'd believe it was a radiation god." Gage muttered, slumping against the couch and only feeling slightly better when Ash crawled into his lap and hugged him. He hugged him back and there was a moment or two of silence where both men were trapped in their own head before Ash spoke up.

"So I think I know where to find the woman from my dreams." He mumbled, looking up and catching Gage's concerned gaze. "Whenever I'm in the cave, it never strikes me as odd or unfamiliar. Nothing about the dream does while I'm in it." Ash swallowed, looking away and worrying his lip a bit. "I think she wants me to find her in the sinkhole I created when I blew up Vault 111." He said, carrying on before Gage could say anything. "I mean, that was the first time I ever personally did anything involving nukes, so if she's really Atom, it- makes sense?" Ash finished, frowning deeply. None of this made sense.

"Would it make you feel any better if we checked it out?" Gage asked, his tone much more calm and much less- well, Gage-y, than Ash had expected.

"Yeah." Ash mumbled, looking up Gage as he nodded.

"Well, get dressed, then." He said, standing once Ash got off his lap.

"Wait, right now?" Ash asked, going over to the nightstand and checking his Pip-Boy. "It's three in the morning."

"Well you ain't sleepin' 'til we figure this shit out and I ain't sleepin' 'til I get my snuggle partner back, so yeah, right now." Gage replied, already pulling his jeans on.

Smiling a little despite himself, Ash didn't say anything and instead started getting dressed. He definitely had mixed feelings about all this. On the one hand, he hoped he was wrong. That the only thing on that hill near Sanctuary was a sinkhole where a vault used to be. No gods or anything else unexplainable. On the other hand, if it meant finally getting a good night's sleep, maybe meeting a god and receiving her blessing down in a sinkhole wouldn't be so bad.

Either way, Ash and Gage were ready to go in no time and left, fully bundled to protect against how cold it would be in the wee hours of the morning this late in November. Ash relayed them to Sanctuary since he wasn't sure how the hill where Vault 111 had been looked since he'd nuked it. For all he knew, the ground up there wasn't even stable enough to walk on. Flicking on his Pip-Boy light, Ash started to lead the way. They were about to find out, he supposed.

They passed over the rickety little bridge that crossed over the creek that wrapped around Sanctuary and Ash slowed his pace as they started up the hill to Vault 111. The ground felt stable underneath him but he still tried to tread lightly. Once they reached the top of the hill, it became obvious to Ash that it was alot shorter than it used to be. The top was caved in, the loosened dirt and rock having swallowed all the machinery and cargo crates that used to sit at the top of the hill. Finding that while the soil was still pretty loose, it was at least safe to walk on, Ash led the way to the hole where the elevator to Vault 111 used to be.

"God damn." Gage said, letting out a whistle as he got as close as he dared to the edge of the hole and peered down into the abyss. "You really did a number on this place."

"Yeah." Ash muttered, also looking into the hole and noting how the way everything had collapsed really should've filled the hole in at least somewhat. In fact, the vault was pretty far down. Given the amount of surface damage, Ash felt strongly that the crater they were standing near really should be much deeper. That left three explanations. He had no idea how explosions worked. Vault 111 was still structurally sound enough to be holding up the ground above it yet wrecked enough to allow this much surface damage. Or, the stupidest explanation, there was a god down there waiting patiently to make him her harbinger and **she** was the reason the hill wasn't more totaled.

While Ash was pondering if this was really his life now, Gage was walking around the hole. "Hey! The ladder is still here!" He called from the other side, looking down into the abyss. "Think it goes all the way down still?" He asked, looking up as Ash joined him.

"This is fucking stupid." Ash mumbled, running a hand through his hair and pulling it hard instead of answering Gage's question. "There has to be a reason the fucking ladder survived. This can't be divine intervention. Gods don't exist." He was babbling and probably would've carried on doing so if Gage wouldn't have grabbed his shoulder firmly.

"Come on." Gage said softly, turning and lowering himself down onto the ladder.

Eyes widening, Ash dropped to his knees and grabbed Gage's shoulder. "You can't go down there! There's no way it's structurally sound!"

Scoffing, Gage shrugged Ash's hand off, looking at him in amusement. "Look at you bein' the voice of reason." He teased, smiling more when Ash blushed and looked mildly horrified. "Come on." Gage repeated, lowering himself a bit before Ash grabbed him again.

"Here." Ash said, taking off his Pip-Boy when Gage looked up at him. "At least put this on. It's gotta be dark down there and if you're gonna lead, you're gonna be the one descending into it."

Holding up his arm so Ash could snap his Pip-Boy in place, Gage nodded. "Thanks, darlin'." He said softly, smiling at Ash before continuing down. "Now come on. If Atom's really waitin' at the bottom of this fuckin' hole, I'm gonna give it a piece of my mind for disturbin' my sleep schedule."

"You're not you when you're tired, Gage." Ash replied, surprised at how Gage was behaving even as he mounted the ladder and started his own descent. His arms and legs were still sore from his earlier work-out, but Ash was practically an expert at ignoring the protests of his body in the pursuit of what he wanted so he didn't pay it any mind. If he lost his balance and fell, he'd probably die, and that was the ultimate sleep, so he'd get what he wanted either way. Gage would be sad, but Ash would be dead so that wouldn't be his problem.

Realizing with some sadness that none of those thoughts were comforting, Ash tried not to think while he climbed. Once upon a time those thoughts would've filled him with a morbid peace of mind like nothing else, but now they just made him sort of sad. One of the downfalls of having a reason to live, he supposed.

A suspiciously short amount of time later, Ash heard the crunch of boots on gravel and frowned, looking down and indeed seeing that Gage was done climbing. Releasing the ladder, Ash fell the remaining few feet, landing with a plume of dust on his knees. He straightened up and swept himself off, looking up and seeing that the surface was but a speck of light due to how far away it was. "Gage-"

"Yeah." Gage answered, sounding unnerved. "It seemed short to me too."

"This is fucking stupid!" Ash complained loudly, two strong hands keeping his own hands from going to his hair.

"I know it is." Gage sighed, spinning Ash around and cupping his cheek gently. "But we're already down here, so we might as well look around."

Sighing shakily, Ash nodded slowly. "You're right." He whispered, stopping Gage when he started to take his Pip-Boy off. "Keep it. I can see without it."

"Right." Gage said, having forgotten that Ash could see in the dark now. He looked around and then looked to Ash again. "Anythin' about this strikin' you as familiar?"

"No." Ash mumbled, walking further into the hole and finding a tunnel. It was _just_ tall and wide enough that Ash didn't start to panic when he stepped inside of it and he let out an unhinged laugh at that. "I'm gonna have a breakdown." He mumbled, looking over when Gage grabbed his hand and held it firmly. Ash looked over but his husband looked determined and started walking into the tunnel. Letting out a breath that was meant to be calming, it wasn't, Ash started walking as well, quickly catching up to Gage and walking close beside him.

Sure enough, much to Ash's still very mixed feelings, a blue light eventually appeared in the darkness, cutting through the purple glow of his Pip-Boy. There was a click and all that was left was the blue glow. When the glow got brighter, the geiger counter on the Pip-Boy started to go off and both Ash and Gage stopped. Before Gage could even check how much radiation he was actually taking, Ash was slinging off his backpack and taking out his respirator and a bottle of Rad-X.

After passing the pills to Gage, Ash gave him a can of water and put the bottle away after Gage had taken two. Then, once Gage had fastened his respirator, Ash took his hand again and they carried on. Ash hoped he wasn't putting too much stock in Dr. Amari's diagnosis that he was immune to radiation now since he was deciding not to take any precautions, but he supposed he'd just have to break into his supply of Rad-Away if he actually started to feel sick.

The geiger counter's clicking got more intense and just as Gage was starting to think he'd need to put on his hazmat suit, Ash froze. Looking over, Gage realized Ash was looking ahead and he did the same, feeling his heart drop to his balls when he saw a cloaked figure standing before a large slab of stone. The figure appeared to look right at him and Gage's world instantly went black.

Eyes widening as Gage started to fall, Ash did his best to lower him to the floor gently and then frantically checked his Pip-Boy to make sure it was still picking up Gage's vitals. It was. He was still alive. Letting out a relieved puff of air, Ash straightened up and glared at the figure behind the alter. "What the fuck?" He demanded, any fear he might've felt upon first seeing the eerily familiar sight gone the moment the figure messed with Gage. "I don't know who or what you are, but if you hurt my husband-"

"Calm, Ash." The figure said, voice that weirdly calming toneless one from his dreams. "I have witnessed your devotion to that man, I would not harm him. Your will is strong and I would have to break you before you accepted my blessing if I did such a thing. A broken harbinger would do me no good. I have simply put him to sleep. He cannot witness you receiving my blessing."

Deflating somewhat, Ash frowned at the figure. "You're alot more wordy than you are in my dreams."

"Dreams are shorter than they seem. I try to be brief." The figure explained, making Ash hum.

"That makes sense I guess." He muttered, deciding that that was probably why he was never allowed to talk in his dreams. Suddenly realizing something, Ash knelt beside Gage and checked his Pip-Boy, switching around until he found the tab that told him how much radiation Gage's body was actually absorbing. Eyes widening, Ash flung his bag off and started to hunt for a Rad-Away. He was taking in too many rads even with the pills and the respirator. Ash wouldn't be able to get the answers he wanted in the time Gage had.

"Ash." The figure called, if you could call the unchanging volume and tone a call, making Ash pause and look at her. "I offer your husband a blessing as well. If you accept the one I have for you, it will make you fairly dangerous to him. Allow me to bless him and it will make him immune to your new gifts and to the radiation that permeates your world."

Hesitating, Ash looked down at Gage. "I-I can't make that decision for him, that-"

"You must. He will not wake until he leaves this place."

Frowning deeply, Ash looked between the figure and Gage a few times before nodding jerkily. "Alright. Just-just do it." He said, looking away from Gage. Hopefully Gage would understand. Hopefully he wouldn't be too mad. Nothing special seemed to happen but the figure spoke up after a moment.

"It is done."

Grabbing Gage's limp arm again, Ash checked the tab and saw that Gage indeed wasn't absorbing any of the rads making the Pip-Boy click. Letting out a sigh of relief, Ash removed the device from his husband mostly so it would shut up and shoved it into his bag. He then did his best to position Gage so he wouldn't be too sore when he woke up and finally walked over to the alter, feeling the warmth in the air as he approached. "So- what does the blessing you're trying to give me do, anyway?" He asked, looking up at the figure and finding he couldn't see her face just like in the dreams. She remained completely cloaked in shadow despite the light coming from the stone.

"Its full power and what it can be used for is up to you and your imagination respectively, but it will allow you to store the radiation around you and release it at will. As a general rule, the more radiation you have stored, the more powerful what you create with it will be when you release it." The figure replied, the perfect mix of cryptic and helpful to keep Ash's feelings on her thoroughly mixed.

"So I could be a bomb?" Ash asked, nodding a bit when the figure nodded once. "Why me?" He asked, looking at the figure again. "I know in my dreams you always say it's cuz I'm destructive, but there's gotta be more to it. There's plenty of destructive people out there. Some of them probably even believe in you, no offense, so why me? Why a heretic?"

"I am not Atom." The figure said plainly, making Ash frown in confusion. "I am known by most of the Children of Atom as The Mother. I am but one of Atom's servants."

"Atom is real then?" Ash asked, feeling increasingly uncertain that he wasn't just having a hallucination or a seizure or something.

"Atom is as real as any one mortal believes." The figure replied cryptically, opening her arms. "Now, lie down, Ash, and I shall show you exactly why you are fit above even Atom's most devout to bear this blessing."

Hesitating, Ash shot one last glance to Gage and then took a deep breath. Bracing himself for the cold, Ash climbed up onto the alter and found that it was exactly as frigid as he remembered. He shuddered lightly at the cold but quickly got used to it thanks to the warmth of the light. Once he was as comfortable as he would get lying on a rock, the figure lowered her arms.

"Many witnessed the day Atom's light cleansed this world." She started, Ash certain he was hallucinating now as he saw a vision of the day the bombs fell. "Those people were forever changed by that moment. Most would condemn that day, few would not, but only one would repeat it." Now Ash saw himself, he had a head full of grey hair and he was considerably more wrinkled, but it was still clearly him, sitting on the roof of a tall building, his feet dangling off the edge. He was holding a cylindrical device in his hand and his finger hovered over the little red button on the top before pressing it. There was a flash that Ash knew should've burned his eyes and then he bore witness to a front row view of the world being engulfed by nuclear hellfire for a second time.

Eventually the vision faded off and Ash blinked rapidly a few times, looking at the figure. "I- that's my future?" He asked quietly, shocked and disbelieving.

"It is one of many possible outcomes for your future. My blessing will neither make it any more or less likely to come out that way, do not worry." The figure replied, calm as ever. "However, it is the possibility that, even knowing what such a thing would do, what it has already done, you would unleash Atom upon the world again that makes you worthy of my blessing."

"Oh." Ash breathed, nodding slowly. "I guess that makes as much sense as any of this does."

"You will accept my blessing then?" The figure asked, Ash looking at her and nodding slowly again.

"Yeah." He muttered, immediately starting to feel warmer as the light in the room started being absorbed by his body. He looked back up at the darkness between him and the roof of the cave but then his head tilted so he could see Gage. "What makes me blow the world up?" Ash asked softly after a bit, not even sure that the figure would tell him but deciding to ask anyway. In movies or books the mystical being never gave out details like that, but this wasn't a movie or a book, it was real life, so it was worth a shot.

"You live a long, happy life with your husband. He dies eventually, but you find peace with that after an appropriate amount of mourning and live until almost eighty even without him. Then one day you discover you are poised to die soon from the same aggressive, incurable cancer that would have taken your brother had you not taken him instead. Unwilling to "go down like a bitch", you decide that the world will die with you."

Unable to help it, Ash snorted out a laugh, head lolling around again to look at the figure. "That does kinda sound like me." He admitted, looking back at the darkness and sighing softly. The light was almost gone now. "What happens once the light is gone?"

"You will have fully received my blessing. I will send you and your husband back to your home. He will wake up and you will both choose your path from there." The figure replied, the last bit of the light dwindling and Ash's body feeling like it was burning up. "You will no longer have the dreams, but you will never fully be rid of me. Whether you believe or not, Atom will now be a part of you until you die."

Nodding slowly, Ash closed his eyes. When he opened them again, it was because Gage was shaking him lightly and saying his name. "Oh, thank god." Gage muttered, falling back on his ass when Ash's eyes opened. "You ain't dead."

"Not yet." Ash muttered, sitting up slowly and looking himself over. He didn't look any different. He felt a bit warmer, but he didn't feel like he was burning up anymore and other than that, he didn't feel any different.

"What-what happened?" Gage asked, searching Ash's face and finding nothing other than his weird calmness to be worried about. "I think I blacked out."

"Oh, yeah." Ash said, looking at Gage. "She said you couldn't watch me receive her blessing so she knocked you out, I guess."

"Well, what happened after she knocked me out?" Gage asked, frowning. Why was Ash so calm? **He** was freaking out, shouldn't Ash be freaking out?

"We talked. She answered my questions and then she gave me her blessing. It-it was sort of anti-climactic, actually." Ash replied, frowning a bit. "I mean, I guess it was always anti-climactic in the dream, but still. She didn't even say bye, just sent us on our way once it was all over."

Huffing out a relieved laugh, Gage ran a hand over his mohawk. "There you are." He muttered, smiling when Ash looked at him in confusion. "You were actin' funny. I was kinda worried, but you're the only whack job I know who'd be so focused on how anti-climactic your meetin' with- well, whatever the hell that thing was instead of focusin' on the fact that the meetin' happened in the first place."

Smiling a little himself, Ash looked away. "Fair." He muttered, suddenly frowning and looking at Gage again. "Something else did happen, actually." Ash said softly, looking away when Gage looked at him in concern. "When we were talking, I realized you were still taking rads and I was gonna get you set up with a Rad-Away but then she said she had a blessing for you too. I-I didn't wanna cuz you weren't awake, but she said you'd be in danger around me if I didn't and she couldn't wake you up, so I just told her-" Ash stopped, having to take a breath as he hadn't since "when". "I let her make you immune to radiation. You-you're one of Atom's chosen now."

Sighing in relief, Gage laughed, shaking his head. "Is that all? Jesus, ya scared me." He said, frowning a bit when he realized how bothered Ash looked. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"Are you mad?" Ash asked softly, glancing up at Gage and seeing that he just looked confused.

"Why would I be mad?" Gage asked, reaching for Ash and gently putting a hand on his knee. When Ash's hand went for his arm, he tensed, ready to tackle Ash if he had to to keep him from mutilating himself. Ash didn't start scratching though so Gage just watched him.

"Because I let her do that to you without your consent!" Ash shouted, not looking at Gage anymore. "It was a violation of your autonomy! I-"

"Ash." Gage interrupted, taking Ash's hand and removing it from his arm before he could do anything. "I ain't mad."

The words took a bit to process and when they did, Ash looked a mix of confused and cautious as he looked at Gage. "You-you're not?" He asked quietly, dropping his head onto Gage's shoulder when he pulled him into his lap and wrapped his arms around him tightly.

"No, darlin'. If some cosmic entity woulda told me that the only way to make sure you'd be safe around me was to let it give you a blessin', I prolly woulda said yes too." Gage said, kissing Ash's head lovingly. "I'm just glad we're both alright."

Sighing in relief, Ash nuzzled into Gage's neck and hugged him tightly. "Me too." He whispered, suddenly laughing softly and pulling away to look at Gage. "I'm tired."

"Fuck, me too." Gage huffed, letting Ash up and standing as well. "Let's go the fuck to sleep."

Smiling, Ash stripped down to his underwear, Gage stripping as well, and climbed into bed beside Gage, snuggling close to him like he always did and closing his eyes. "Night, love." He mumbled, already feeling sleep starting to claim him.

"Night, darlin'." Gage mumbled back, falling asleep a moment later.

And for the first time in a little over a month, both Ash and Gage slept soundly.


	32. Armageddon

Chapter Specific Characters: Gage Reeves, Skye

Chapter Specific Tags/Warnings: Cannibalism

* * *

"So now I can store radiation inside me and release it whenever I want." Ash said, having just finished a much fuller recap of what had happened in the ruins of Vault 111 the night before. "At least, that's what "The Mother" told me."

"So you're a walkin' nuke now." Gage summarized, sounding decidedly displeased.

"Well- I mean, sort of. That's the first thing I thought of too." Ash admitted, at least having the decency to look sheepish when Gage glared at him. "She said the power was only limited by my imagination though, so I think there's more to it than just using it like a bomb." He added, frowning thoughtfully. "She seemed pretty sure I'd use it to destroy stuff, though."

"Can't imagine why." Gage muttered sarcastically, frown lessening when Ash suddenly pushed him over and straddled his hips. They were still in bed, having just woken up, and had been laying facing eachother to chat. Now Ash had Gage's hands pinned beside his head and was staring down at him. Even though Ash didn't have much actual physical power over Gage, he sort of liked it when he did things like this, held him down or topped during sex. It was nice to sometimes feel like the under he was supposed to be instead of the equal partner he really was.

"I know the idea of me having access to nukes, let alone **being** a nuke bothers you, so if you don't want me to use the power, I won't." Ash assured, smiling a little when Gage's face softened some more. "I mean, I didn't earn the title of family disappointment for nothing, so I really don't mind." He added playfully, his smile dropping when that made Gage furrow his brow and frown again. "What?"

"Did your family really call you that?" Gage asked quietly, sounding as bothered as he looked.

"Well, I mean, not to my _face_." Ash replied, letting Gage go and sitting up on his lap as he looked away. "I heard things, though. I used to pretend to be asleep or busy with schoolwork alot while my grandparents were visiting so I wouldn't have to spend time with them and they were _super_ judgmental about me in general." He smiled again, still looking away and starting to rub his upper arm a bit. "Especially my grandparents on Nora's side. I heard them tell her she should've put me up for adoption once she knew I was gonna be a "problem child" and she didn't really disagree with them."

Frowning deeply, Gage pulled Ash down into a tight hug. "I'd punch your whole family in the face if I could." He mumbled, smiling a little when Ash laughed. As good as it felt to make Ash laugh, it still bothered Gage how casually he discussed things like this, like he was desensitized and didn't realize how fucked up it all was. Gage had run away from home, sure, but he'd run away from a loving home, from parents who'd tried even if they'd been shit at life in general. He couldn't imagine how much more fucked up he'd be if he'd had Ash's home-life. It sort of explained alot about him, though.

"Yeah?" Ash asked, smiling into Gage's strong chest and unknowingly pulling the older man from his thoughts. "All of them? Even the old ones?"

"Especially the old ones." Gage confirmed, squeezing Ash briefly. "I'd knock some of their perfect pre-war teeth down their throat for talkin' bad about my wife."

After a beat, Ash pulled back, looking down at Gage with an expression of confused amusement despite the light blush dusting his face. "Are you jealous of my teeth, Gage?" When Gage looked away, Ash's eyes widened.

"Not **jealous**." Gage muttered, going to say more but getting interrupted.

"Gage! Why didn't you say something! I mean, I knew you didn't like _your_ teeth, but I didn't realize you were jealous of _mine_!" Ash said, smacking Gage on the chest. "We live in a technological marvel even by my time's standards, I bet there's a way to get you new teeth. The synths all have teeth, that's a start."

"Synthetic teeth?" Gage questioned, frowning a bit and humming thoughtfully when Ash nodded. "I mean, I guess I wouldn't be surprised if it were possible."

Smiling broadly, Ash hopped off of Gage and then the bed, snatching his Pip-Boy from the nightstand as he did. "I'll whip us up some breakfast and then we can-" A shrill sort of beep-blare came from Ash's Pip-Boy as he clipped it to his wrist and turned it on and cut Ash off from what he'd been saying.

"What in the fuck?" Gage shouted over the sound, grimacing only slightly less than Ash was.

"I don't- how the fuck do you turn this shit down?" Ash huffed, finally finding a switch and sighing when the beep-blare stopped. "Fucking hell. It's never done that before." He grumbled, noticing that the vitals tab had an exclamation mark and frowning. That was also new. Switching over, Ash's eyes widened. "Oh."

"_Oh?_" Gage demanded, getting out of bed and peering over Ash's shoulder before his own eyes widened as well. "Oh." He breathed, tilting his head a bit to get a better look, not quite believing what he was seeing. Ash's radiation levels were higher than the Pip-Boy had a counter for and his internal temperature was clocking in at a definitely lethal one-hundred eighteen. "Is it broken?"

"I-I don't think so." Ash mumbled, taking the Pip-Boy off and clipping it onto Gage. It showed normal readings. Barely any radiation and a healthy ninety-eight degrees temperature. "Nope. Not broken."

"So- do you feel alright?" Gage asked, feeling Ash's forehead and huffing when Ash smacked his hand away.

"I feel _fine_, Gage." Ash said, taking a step away from Gage so he couldn't go for his forehead again. "It's probably just from the blessing. Or maybe it's a new mutation. Either way, I'm fine." When Gage frowned more at him, Ash slumped a bit, his tone coming out more gentle. "I _promise_ I feel fine. After everything that happened last night, I would tell you if I didn't."

After staring at Ash for a bit, Gage nodded slowly and went to take the Pip-Boy off. "Alright, I guess." He grumbled, stopping when Ash placed a hand over his own.

"Keep it." Ash said, motioning at the Pip-Boy. "It'd probably be easier to just live without the damn thing than to figure out how to recalibrate it and I can't deal with it screaming at me everytime I put it back on."

"But-" Gage looked down at the Pip-Boy, before raising an eyebrow at Ash. "You love this stupid thing. You're always messin' with it."

Waving a dismissive hand at Gage, Ash turned to head to the little kitchen in their room. "I don't _love_ it, it's just **convenient**. It'll be just as convenient on you." He assured, opening up the fridge and looking over the options. "Maybe I'll set the synths on raiding some vaults for more of them and then I'll see about recalibrating a new one or something. Right now I can't risk breaking the only one we have." Ash finished, setting out some leftover radstag stew from the night before and heating it up on the stove.

Sighing softly, Gage sat down at the table, looking down at the clunky device on his arm. "Alright." He muttered, deciding Ash had a good point.

Smiling to himself as Gage wisely gave in, Ash poked around for something for himself and eventually decided on mutfruit smothered in agave nectar. He'd gotten the nectar from the same Mojave caravan that supplied Gage with the tequila he liked and found he liked it even more than he'd liked honey way back when. The caravan had also had honey, but Gage had cautioned him against it. Apparently whatever a "cazador" was, their honey contained a large amount of their venom and was really only used as an application for weapons, not for eating. _"Unless you like the feelin' of havin' somethin' eat a hole in your stomach."_ Gage had added when Ash had pouted at him. **That** had convinced him.

The stew on the stove heated in the time it took for Ash to section up the mutfruit he was having and he fixed Gage a bowl, heading to the table with both bowls of food and setting Gage's down in front of him. He sat down and started eating his mutfruit, not bothering with a spoon and instead eating with his hands regardless of how sticky he'd be afterwards. Eating mutfruit with a bare hand also ran the risk of the juice dying any skin it came into contact with, but Ash didn't care. He was under the firm belief that mutfruit sections were the best when eaten by hand.

"It's a wonder your teeth ain't as bad as mine with the way you eat." Gage said after watching Ash and eating his own food for a bit. "I ain't never seen anyone eat as much sugar as you do."

Pausing with his index finger halfway in his mouth, Ash shrugged lightly. He finished sucking the digit clean of agave and picked up another piece of mutfruit. "Sugar is the only thing that makes food worth eating." He asserted, popping a few pieces of mutfruit into his mouth and licking up a bit of agave that was running down his palm.

It was then that Ash realized Gage wasn't eating anymore and simply watching him eat. When he stopped, Gage's eye flicked from his hand to his face and he flushed, making Ash laugh. "Having dirty thoughts there, love?" Ash asked playfully, grinning more when Gage looked down at his stew and kept eating.

"Maybe." He grumbled, shooting Ash a halfhearted glare when he laughed again. Then Ash suddenly got serious and Gage only had enough time to frown in confusion before Ash was pulling his arm close with his clean hand.

"What day is it?" Ash asked, flipping tabs on the Pip-Boy until he found what he was looking for. Grinning broadly, Ash let Gage take his arm back but sprung up and ran to the balcony before Gage could ask what was going on. He came back quickly and sat back down, looking excited. "Finish your food. I have a surprise for you." When Gage frowned, Ash looked at him pleadingly. "I know, you don't like surprises, but you'll like this one, I swear."

Sighing, Gage returned to eating, finishing his bowl quickly as Ash scarfed the rest of his down and washed his hands. He then stood up but didn't get to go far or even say anything before Ash bounded up to him again, looking more excited than Gage had ever seen him. It would've been enough to bring a smile to his face if he weren't so busy dreading whatever the surprise could be.

"Close your eye." Ash commanded, taking Gage's hand. "No peaking."

Sighing once again, Gage closed his eye and allowed himself to be led blindly. While he was sorely tempted, he didn't open his eye or even peak, keeping it closed tight until Ash stopped and gave him the go-ahead. Opening his eye, Gage looked over the railing of the balcony and his eye widened. Down below in the grass, there were flowers. Hundreds of little spots of color. Gage covered his mouth, not sure when exactly it had started hanging open. Most of the flowers were daisies. "Oh, Ash." He breathed, not even sure what else to say.

"Surprise." Ash said quietly, smiling happily at Gage's reaction. "You said you liked daisies so I thought I'd have the synths plant some flowers." He explained, looking over the railing instead of at Gage. "I told them to get mostly daisies, but-" Ash was cut off as Gage suddenly pulled him into a deep kiss. After his initial surprise, Ash hugged Gage and returned the kiss, deciding, despite how it made his gut twist, that the tears he could feel on Gage's cheeks were probably a good sign.

After several minutes of kissing, Gage pulled away and instantly hid his face in Ash's neck. "Proud of yourself, makin' a grown-ass man cry, you little heathen?" He asked softly, his tone half angry, half playful, and entirely overwhelmed.

Smiling, Ash nuzzled Gage's neck. "So long as they're happy tears." He mumbled, giving Gage a moment to wipe his face before looking at him when he pulled away.

"No one's ever-" Gage tried, clearing his throat when his voice wavered and motioning vaguely at the flowers. "You're just- you're somethin' else. I know I've said it before, but-"

Leaning up, Ash broke Gage off with a kiss, pulling away after a much shorter amount of time. "You're worth it." Gage looked like he might start crying again and instead huffed in annoyance and pulled Ash into another hug.

"I love you so fuckin' much. You're the best thing that's ever happened to me." Gage murmured, happier than he would've ever dared dream he could ever be.

Now Ash started to tear up, barely stemming the rising tide by forcing out a laugh. "Now you know how I feel." He mumbled, smiling at Gage when he pulled back to look at him.

"Such a sappy little murder machine." Gage said fondly, cupping Ash's cheek and smiling more when Ash pouted at him.

"You started it with the sappiness!" He argued, leaning into Gage's touch despite his pout.

Scoffing, Gage raised an eyebrow at his husband. "Who planted who flowers?"

Flushing, Ash smiled, turning his face to kiss Gage's palm. "Yeah, alright. I'm sappy." He mumbled, taking Gage's hand from his face and holding it. "Just don't go telling that to people. I have a reputation to uphold."

"Don't worry, I won't." Gage guaranteed, smiling down at the man who'd changed his life. Despite all the little, and even not so little, bumps in the road, Gage decided easily that his life had definitely been changed for the better by the whirlwind known as Ash entering it.

"Okay, now that that's over with, we need to figure out how to get you some new teeth." Ash announced, quickly wiping the unshed tears from his eyes and giving Gage a moment to wipe his face again before taking his hand and leading him off. "I think we should start looking in Robotics since that's where the synths are made." Gage didn't respond, simply letting Ash lead him by the hand.

When the couple arrived in Robotics, Ash released Gage's hand and walked up to the synth overseeing production. She turned to him and opened her mouth to say something, likely some greeting or another, but Ash cut her off. "If I wanted to have all my teeth replaced with synthetic replicas, would you be able to do that?"

"Well, not me personally, but it's possible." The synth replied, frowning a bit. "You'd need to have your measurements taken by whoever is handling dental now and then I can create the teeth. The dentist would have to replace them, though."

Nodding once, Ash walked over to Gage and grinned at him. "Hear that? It's possible." He said happily, pressing his back against Gage's front and draping Gage's left arm across himself so he could use the Pip-Boy comfortably. "I just have to figure out where the hell dental is located and we can get this party started."

Smiling a bit, Gage rested his head on top of Ash's while he searched. "Still think it was convenient to let me keep your Pip-Boy?" He asked, wrapping his free arm around Ash's stomach and holding him close.

"Are you kidding? If this is how I'm gonna get to use it everytime, my only regret is not giving you the damn thing sooner." Ash replied, finding what he was looking for and tilting his head back to kiss Gage under the jaw. "Looks like we'll be walking past some flowers on the way to dental."

Smiling more, Gage allowed Ash to take his hand once more and followed him out of Robotics. He wasn't entirely sure if Ash was telling the truth about their path naturally taking them past the flowers, but he certainly wasn't complaining as they stopped to admire them. Whoever Ash had gotten to plant them had done a good job of speckling the daisies with just enough more colorful flowers to create a truly eye-catching little field. Gage had certainly never seen anything like it, not even in any of the pre-war books he'd ever read.

After they'd looked their fill, Ash continued to lead the way. They made it to dental and the synth leading it took Gage's measurements with a series of x-rays. Ash took them back to Robotics while Gage waited in the dental area, getting the rundown on what the operation he was going to have would entail. Ash returned in twenty minutes with the teeth in a holder that showed where they went and handed it off to the dentist.

"Before we begin, I need to know how recently you've eaten." The synth said, setting the teeth aside and looking at Gage.

"'Bout half an hour ago." Gage replied, already sitting in the chair he'd be getting his surgery done on.

Pursing her lips in thought, the dentist nodded after a bit. "In that case, we can get started right away. It should take about half an hour to get your teeth out which will only require a numbing agent since they're already so decayed, and by then you'll be good to go under anesthesia for the placing of the new teeth." When Gage gave a nod of understanding, the dentist started putting her gloves on. "Do you have any questions before we begin?"

"Nope. I'm good to go, doc." Gage replied, laying back in the chair and smiling over at Ash when he pulled up a chair beside him and took his hand. He wouldn't admit it, but he _was_ sort of nervous about this. He'd never had anything like this done before, after all. His nervousness must've shown as the dentist was filling a syringe because Ash squeezed his hand.

"Don't worry, Gage. I'll be here when you fall asleep and I'll be here when you wake up. Nothing bad will happen." Ash assured, smiling when Gage raised an eyebrow at him.

"I ain't worried." He lied, looking forward again. "It's just a little surgery." The pinch of the needle entering his neck made Gage flinch just a bit since he hadn't been expecting it and everything quickly got fuzzy. The fuzziness lasted for awhile and then, at some point, Gage was knocked out with anesthesia, the fuzz fading nicely into darkness. When Gage woke up, he came back to the world slowly, the darkness fading back into fuzziness and then finally into a slightly-warped-around-the-edges clarity.

The first thing Gage became aware of was the fact that he couldn't really feel his face. Next, he became aware of a tapping sound and when he managed to get his bleary eyes to focus enough, he realized Ash was pacing back and forth beside their bed, which he'd apparently been moved to while he was out. Ash was decked out in his work clothes which would have certainly stricken Gage as odd if the next thing he noticed wouldn't have been a familiar gnawing emptiness he could feel all the way down to his bones.

"Babe?" Ash froze instantly and his head snapped to Gage, his eyes wide. Gage sounded different, his voice a little higher than usual, and when Ash looked at him, he saw that he looked different too. Not to mention he'd only ever called him babe when- "'M hungry." Gage said softly, trying to sit up in the bed but falling back down when the room started spinning.

"I know, love, but stay down for a couple of minutes, okay?" Ash asked gently, now standing at Gage's side and smiling softly at him when he nodded slowly. The moment Ash had heard that Gage would be getting anesthesia, he'd had a feeling he'd wake up high and hungry. According to what Gage had told him, the hunger was a constant feeling that only ever went away for awhile if he gave in and ate human, but it was easy to ignore after years of practice, only flaring up badly occasionally. It had been strong enough to get Gage to speak up only once since Ash had told him he could sate the hunger whenever he wanted.

Ash knew from experience, though, that the hunger was stronger when Gage's walls were down. It was the worst when he was high, followed closely by drunk, but Ash had seen it sometimes during and after sex too, or when Gage was just waking up in the few moments before his brain was fully aware. Ash wasn't sure if Gage was aware of it for those last two, but he'd gotten good at recognizing when the hunger was the strongest and he tried his very best to be supportive to both sides of his husband by walking the line of taking care of Gage when he was hungry enough to eat human and not being too pushy when he wasn't.

"I had a feeling you'd be hungry after the surgery." Ash said, rubbing Gage's chest gently. "I have another surprise for you, but you have to drink some water first, okay? If you don't you'll only get dizzy again."

After pondering his position for a bit, Gage gave another slow nod. "Okay." He mumbled, his voice a bit slurred from the lingering effects of the anesthesia and the pain-killers he was on. Everything indeed got more stable as Ash helped him nurse a can of water and by the time Gage had drained half, the world had stopped spinning. Then Ash helped him sit up and Gage smiled a triumphant smile when he managed it without any negative side-effects.

"Your surprise is over here." Ash said, stepping aside so Gage could see the body lying on their dining table and smiling when Gage let out the cutest, happiest little gasp Ash had ever heard from him. Then Gage's eye turned to him and Ash's smile got a little nervous around the edges. "I wasn't sure if he was right, but I remembered your type and I went hunting for you." He explained, hoping that he'd done alright with the raider he'd picked out.

"Oh, babe." Gage breathed, pulling Ash down easily into a tight hug. "He's perfect."

Letting out a relieved breath, Ash hugged Gage back and then led him carefully over to the table. "He was very feisty, by the way. He shouted and swore the entire time I was taking him down." Ash assured, helping Gage sit down. When he noticed Gage looking the raider over with a slight frown, he also frowned. "Is something wrong?"

"How'd you kill 'im?" Gage asked, looking up at Ash. "I don't see no blood or nothin'."

"Oh! He's not dead." Ash explained, smiling at Gage. "I wanted him to be fresh, so he's just unconscious. I wasn't sure if there was a special way you liked to kill your food or anything like that. I didn't wanna mess him up."

Smiling lovingly, Gage looked back at the raider and indeed could see now that his attention had been drawn to it that he was still breathing slowly. "You cleaned 'im off, too." Gage gasped, suddenly realizing how naked and clean the man was.

"I did." Ash replied proudly, suddenly biting his lip and looking a little nervous again. "So- if you'd rather be alone, I understand, but, if you wouldn't mind, could I-could I watch you eat him?" He asked uncertainly, shifting a little as Gage looked at him.

"'Course y'can, babe." Gage replied with a smile that quickly grew to show his new teeth. "You could try a piece too. Might like it." He added brightly, his excitement making Ash feel a little bad for the uncertainty he instantly felt.

"I-I don't know." He mumbled, looking at the raider on the table. "I mean, I guess I've thought about it. Thought about what it must taste like to make you crave it so much."

"I don't think one bite'll get ya hooked." Gage coaxed, tilting his head a little at Ash.

"Well- alright." Ash said, still not feeling entirely certain of his decision but deciding to just go for it. "Did you want a knife or something to kill him with?"

Suddenly Gage grinned and it was so predatory that it made Ash take an instinctive step back. "Nah." He breathed, surprising Ash further by climbing onto the table and going for the raider's throat. Ash watched with wide eyes as Gage ripped the raider's throat out, letting the chunk of flesh fall from his mouth once he was done. The bite woke the raider up, but he didn't have long to struggle before he then choked to death on his own blood. "I've always wanted to do it like that." Gage admitted, licking off some of the blood now covering his entire lower jaw.

Ash opened his mouth to respond but instead a shaky breath left him. Was that supposed to be as arousing as it was? Probably not, but Ash was definitely turned on. He eventually dragged his eyes from the gushing wound that was now the raider's neck to Gage and regretted it when he saw how intensely Gage was watching him. It was like he _knew_ and when he offered Ash a small, bloody smile, Ash swallowed audibly. He suddenly felt like an appetizer, or maybe dessert, but it was- well, he certainly wasn't getting any _softer_ as Gage eyed him like he was next.

"C'mere." Gage breathed, and Ash felt himself coming close before he could even think about it. Even like this, even with the way Gage was eyeing him like, appropriately enough, he supposed, a piece of meat, Ash trusted that his husband wouldn't hurt him. "Pick a piece." Gage said, gently tilting Ash's face towards the corpse. "I suggest thick muscle, but I'll carve you out any piece you want."

Swallowing nervously, Ash looked the corpse over and eventually pointed at his stomach. The raider had a flat stomach, likely from malnourishment, but there was some muscle definition there from the hard living of the wastes. It seemed like a good place to start, especially since the skin on the corpse's stomach looked so smooth.

Smiling, Gage took Damnation from Ash's belt and used it to carve Ash a hunk of abdominal muscle, handing it over and hilting the knife once Ash took it. He watched with baited breath as Ash took a tentative bite from the hunk and couldn't help but smile more when Ash had a hard time getting a chunk off. "Ya gotta bite it like ya mean it, babe." Gage coached gently, watching Ash put more effort into his bite and start chewing once he finally got a bit off.

"How did you ever manage that with your bad teeth?" Ash asked between chews, deciding he didn't hate the taste of human, it was boring like any other kind of meat, but that the texture was really, _really_ bad.

Chuckling softly, Gage shrugged. "Guess I was always too high to notice if it hurt." He said, easily plucking the eyes from the corpse and putting them happily into his mouth. Gage crunched down on them and smiled contently when they squished audibly into his mouth.

"That makes sense, I guess." Ash said, looking down at the meat in his hand before setting it down on the table. "It tastes alright, but I don't know how you eat it raw like that."

"It's the best raw." Gage said, getting carefully off the table and spreading the corpse's legs in order to sink his teeth into its inner thigh. Ash slowly sank into a chair beside Gage and watched in rapt attention as he tore chunk after chunk from the corpse's thigh, chewing each new mouthful and swallowing it down like it was the best mouthful of food he'd ever had. Once Gage finished with the thighs, he seemed a bit more sober, but he still stood up and got to work on the corpse's chest, sort of squeezing the small pectorals there to make them come up enough so he could bite them.

Dimly Ash realized he probably should've tried to get Gage to let his new teeth rest before he let him go sinking them into a person, but the teeth seemed to be holding up fine. Furthermore, Ash had never seen Gage enjoy food and it was sort of nice. He'd seen Gage eat, of course, but he imagined the way Gage looked eating was the way he himself looked most of the time. Gage only ate anything but the food he actually enjoyed because he had to, just like Ash.

After finishing the choice bits of meat, Gage leaned back in his chair, belching and covering his stomach with a content smile. "I couldn't eat another bite." He muttered, definitely still high but also sounding more like himself than before he'd eaten.

Smiling softly, Ash got a rag and a bowl of warm water and straddled Gage's lap. Maybe it was hypocritical or selfish of him that he hated being doted on but loved doting on Gage, but Gage certainly wasn't in any position to complain. He gently wiped off Gage's face and neck before removing Gage's blood-soaked shirt and cleaning up his chest, the water in the bowl clouded with blood once he was finished. "You're a messy eater." Ash teased gently, smiling at Gage and getting a smile back.

"Thanks for takin' care'a me, babe." Gage said, holding Ash close and burying his face in his neck. "One'a these days I'm gonna take you up on your offer to take a bite outta you, I promise." He added softly, surprising Ash. At one point Ash had "jokingly", it hadn't been a joke and Gage hadn't taken it as one, offered to let Gage take a piece of his thigh sometime during sex or something and Gage had only glared at him so Ash had assumed it wasn't going to happen and had nearly forgotten about it. Apparently Gage hadn't.

"Yeah?" Ash asked, pulling back and looking at Gage when he didn't answer only to see that the older man had fallen asleep again. Smiling softly, Ash got off of Gage's lap and called in a couple of synths to get Gage back to bed. He'd need some time to sleep off his pain meds and Ash had a deathclaw corpse-removal service to contact anyway so he didn't mind. Daisy certainly didn't mind either, and it was actually pretty funny to watch her dig into the corpse's stomach in search of the organ meat like a dog trying to get at a buried bone. The mess she made while digging was less funny, but that wasn't Ash's responsibility so he still didn't mind.

Several hours later Ash was dealing with reports on his terminal when a pair of strong arms wrapped around his neck and a head rested gently on his own. He smiled happily and quickly finished up the last bit of the report he'd been reading so he could spin his chair around and hug Gage. "Did you sleep alright?" He asked, hugging Gage around the middle and nuzzling into his stomach.

"Slept like the fuckin' dead." Gage mumbled, pulling back in order to pick Ash up and steal his seat. He settled Ash on his lap and kept holding him. "You're gettin' heavy."

Laughing, Ash snuggled happily into Gage's hold. "Thank you." He replied, kissing Gage's cheek and sweeping his thumb gently over the burn scars under his exposed blind eye. "Do you remember your meal?"

"Mostly." Gage replied, resisting the urge to flinch or cringe. It was still hard to believe that Ash was so okay with his unnatural hunger. "It's all sorta blurry, but I remember it."

"Was it good?" Ash pressed, still trying to walk the fine line of being supportive without being too pushy.

"Oh yeah." Gage admitted easily enough, laughing softly. "Might have you pick for me more often. You did good."

Beaming at the praise, Ash nuzzled his face into Gage's neck. "I wouldn't mind that. Maybe next time I let you convince me to try some, I'll try it cooked."

"It tastes different cooked." Gage said quietly, not looking at Ash when he pulled back to look at him. "Just sayin'."

Nodding slowly, Ash gently made Gage look at him and kissed him. Gage returned the kiss in a way that felt distinctly grateful and Ash decided that meant he was done talking about his eating habits. He'd make Gage comfortable enough to discuss it casually eventually, but until then, part of being supportive was knowing when to shut the fuck up, so Ash just kept kissing Gage. After a few minutes, their kiss was interrupted by a knock on the door. Pulling back reluctantly, Ash looked at the door. "Come in."

Surprising absolutely no one since most of the synths weren't brave enough to bother Ash when the bedroom door was closed, Skye came into the room, looking unphased by what they'd clearly interrupted. "Armageddon is finished." They informed neutrally, face as blank as ever as Ash excitedly turned back to Gage.

"Feel like going out?" Ash asked, smiling when Gage raised an eyebrow at him.

"To finally see your new murder-blimp? Of course I feel like goin' out." Gage replied, smiling when Ash got off his lap and started getting dressed.

"**Our** new murder-blimp." Ash corrected, showing his usual amount of concern about Skye still being there as he stripped out of the comfy clothes he'd changed into while Gage had been sleeping and back into his work clothes. "We're married now. We share everything."

"Right." Gage said, his tone amused as he grabbed his own clothes and retreated into the restroom to change. He didn't care how disinterested Skye looked, he wasn't going to change in front of them. No matter how hard he tried, Ash would never convince him that there wasn't more hidden under that whole stone-face routine they had going on. Gage could see it in their eyes sometimes when he dared to look long enough and the fact that Skye was so good at keeping themself so blank all the time was creepy as fuck. Not even Shank was that good at keeping his emotions down.

Once both men were dressed, Gage returned and put in the coordinates for the relay. He had Ash look it over to make sure he'd done it right before taking Ash's hand and triggering it, though. They came out of the relay in the airport a little ways away from Armageddon so they could get a good view and Skye appeared beside them shortly after. Armageddon was mostly white, looking sleeker now and definitely more high-tech. What really caught Ash's attention though, was the giant logo spray-painted onto the bulk of the actual balloon part of the blimp.

The top of the logo was purple with "Nuka-World" written in the usual cursive in black and with a little star above the "a". To the right, was the Operators insignia backgrounded in bright yellow. Under that was a yellow atom with a radioactive sign in the middle in black and backgrounded in nuclear green. To the left was the Disciples insignia backgrounded in a rusted reddish orange. Under that was the Pack's insignia in the green they sometimes used instead of their usual pink and backgrounded in their usual pink. Finally, in the center was the Institute's insignia backgrounded in light blue with a darker blue circle behind the head. All the colors blended with eachother where they were close to one another thanks to how close each insignia was to eachother and it created a colorful, eye-catching display.

"Holy fuck." Ash breathed, unable to look at anything else now that his attention had been caught by the logo. He hadn't asked for anything like that and he certainly hadn't been expecting it.

"That was my addition." Skye said, looking up at the airship with what could almost be called a smile. They even sounded a tiny bit proud. "The Atom symbol was a last-minute addition, but I think it pulls everything together nicely."

"How did you even hear about that? It just happened last night." Ash asked, looking over at Skye in surprise.

"I have my ways." Skye replied without looking at Ash, neutral as ever once again.

Too pleased with his new murder-blimp to be annoyed, Ash laughed and looked up once again, grinning broadly. "It looks fucking kickass. Good job, Skye."

Skye simply nodded, looking down to fiddle with their wrist device. "Shall we inspect the interior?"

Looking over at Gage, Ash received a grin and a nod and he nodded at Skye. "We shall."

Before Gage could get a new relay set up, a vertibird started landing nearby. "We also got the vertibirds you wanted up and running." Skye mentioned casually, the vertibird also being white and sleek now. It had gatling lasers mounted where the miniguns used to go and on the side, there was the same logo as up on Armageddon but smaller.

Laughing happily, Ash ran up to the vertibird and boarded first, excitedly taking one of the gatling lasers even though he wouldn't get to use it for the short trip up to Armageddon. "I'd give you a raise if I were paying you!" He shouted to Skye as they and Gage boarded after him, Skye taking a seat and Gage standing behind Ash. Ash wasn't sure if it was because he wanted to admire the view from the door as well or if he didn't trust him alone hanging halfway out of the vertibird, but he was in too good of a mood to question it or feel insulted when Gage's arms wrapped tightly around his waist and instead chose to enjoy the extra attention for the ride up.

"Next time we head to Nuka-World, let's take one of these." Gage said in Ash's ear while they were headed up. "The view'd be worth the extra time."

Looking back, Ash nodded excitedly and held on tightly to the gatling laser in front of him as the vertibird shook during the boarding process. He then waited for Gage to let him go and hopped off the craft, excitedly running past the flight deck and practically bouncing as he waited for Gage to catch up before going inside Armageddon. The interior looked exactly like he'd expected it to, like a miniature floating Sanctum. There were synths busily bustling about and everything had a sleek, clean feeling to it. No one would know from looking at it that it had been filled with liquefying corpses just a month ago. The only clue was the strong smell of cleaning chemicals still lingering in the air.

"All of the practical equipment is running more efficiently than ever and the air will be cleared up after a full cycle." Skye informed, hands folded behind their back as they walked a bit behind Ash. "The weapons are also fully online and ready for use. Keeping with the theme and reputation of the Institute, I had the synths outfit Armageddon with mostly laser weaponry, but keeping in mind your particular tastes, I also had them include several bombing hangers on the lower levels." They stopped with Ash and Gage in the cockpit and stayed back while the couple admired the view from the freshly cleaned and reinforced windows. "I've also taken the liberty of locating a cache of Mark 28 nuclear warheads to arm the hangers with. The team I've assembled to retrieve them just require your approval to move out."

Tensing up, Ash glanced at Gage before turning to face Skye. "I appreciate the thought, but-"

"Approve 'em." Gage said, also turning around and smiling a bit at Ash when he looked at him in surprise.

"Are you sure?" Ash asked, grinning when Gage shrugged at him.

"Might need 'em. Not like I think you'll go bombin' the wastes for no good reason." He replied, smiling when Ash started practically bouncing again.

"Send out the team." Ash said, looking to Skye again and raising an eyebrow at them when he noticed the way they were eyeing Gage almost curiously. They had the decency to look almost embarrassed when they realized Ash had caught them but simply nodded once.

"Understood. Do you have any questions or notes for me?" They asked, waiting patiently with their usual blank expression while Ash eyed them.

"No. Dismissed." Ash said after a bit, watching them leave before turning back to the view Gage had already returned to.

"Told you there was more under all that restin' bitch face and leather." Gage mumbled, glancing over at Ash with more amusement than Ash would've expected.

"Yeah, I guess you were right." Ash replied, looking back down and grinning again before pushing off of the rail he was leaning against. "Wanna check out the upper level with me?"

"'Course." Gage replied, following Ash up the ladder and marveling at the lack of corpse smell even there. The synths really knew how to get a place clean. It looked like they'd replaced the floor but Gage wouldn't have been surprised to find that they'd gotten the stains from the puddles of liquefied bodies out as well.

After checking out everything from the gen three barracks to the infirmary, Ash and Gage found their way to the rooms just beyond the ladder. The central room, the biggest one, was clearly for Ash and Gage. It was furnished with a fairly large bed and a desk with a terminal among other things. Gage gravitated towards the mini-fridge in one corner of the room and whistled at the assortment of alcohol it had been stocked with. Ash, however, went for the ham radio on the desk with the terminal and clicked it on.

Both he and Gage were shocked when a voice came through almost instantly. "Prydwen? Come in, Prydwen. This is the Citadel. We've been trying to contact you for months." A grin split Ash's face and before Gage could say anything in support or opposition to his decision, Ash was reaching for the receiver.

"Hello, Citadel. The Prydwen is currently unavailable and will be for the foreseeable future. This is Armageddon."

* * *

Author's Note: Since I'm not allowed to link to outside sources on here, here's a kinda link to a bad approximation of Armageddon's logo: (put Twitter's web address before this and it should come up) /CynicalLion555/status/1306393109547438081


	33. War on the West Coast

Chapter Specific Characters: Gage Reeves, Skye, Daisy, Shank, Tabs, Mags & William Black, Nisha, minor background characters

* * *

There was a long pause from the other side of the radio and Gage came over, standing beside Ash and raising an eyebrow at him. Ash shrugged with a mischievous grin and finally the voice on the other side spoke up. "It's a serious transgression to use this frequency for anything other than serious Brotherhood business, soldier." They said firmly, making Ash snicker. "Do you find something funny, soldier?"

"Just the fact that you think I care what this frequency is _supposed_ to be used for." Ash informed, taking a seat and crossing one leg over the other at the knee as he decided to have some fun.

There was some indignant spluttering on the other end before the person behind the voice managed to pull themself together. "I want to speak to your superior officer this instant. That's an order, soldier!"

"Sure, sure, just a sec." Ash replied, shifting the receiver around a bit before holding it still again. "Oh wait, I'm my own superior officer! Silly me. What did you need?"

"That does it, solider, I'll have-"

"Oh, and I'm not a soldier." Ash interrupted, glancing over as Gage pulled up a chair. "There haven't been any soldiers here in about a year."

"What-what do you mean? This is frequency Arx Ferrum Four Seven, a-"

"Yeah, I'm aware this is a Brotherhood frequency." Ash interrupted again, hoping he was annoying the soldier he was talking to. "But there's no soldiers here. See, they're all dead." There was a long pause before a different, stronger voice came on.

"This is Sentinel Frost, Brotherhood of Steel. Who am I currently speaking to?"

"Overboss Ash, Nuka-World Raiders." Ash responded, smacking Gage's arm when he snorted and raised an amused eyebrow at him. It was covered by the woman on the other end having a similar reaction at least verbally.

"Well, _Overboss_, I currently have an entire army that's been waiting impatiently for a year now to hear how the Commonwealth mission is going." Frost said, putting a decidedly sarcastic emphasis on Ash's title. "It'd be a real shame if I had to tell them that because some asshole somehow cut into a Brotherhood frequency they're gonna have to wait until I can march all their asses out there so they can see for themselves."

"Yes, I imagine that would make them quite grouchy." Ash replied calmly, a grin that didn't match his tone playing his face. "Which I imagine would be bad news for the asshole on your frequency once they found him." Some of his amusement had bled into his voice and his grin only got wider. "Unless of course that asshole was just _dying_ for the opportunity to take on as many Brotherhood soldiers as you dare to throw at him." He added, bristling slightly when Frost laughed mockingly at him.

"Do you really think one raider, hell, do you really think even a **group** of raiders stand a chance against the _entire_ West Coast chapter of the Brotherhood of Steel?" Frost asked, sounding very much like she believed that Ash was entirely full of shit.

"Of course not. Don't be ridiculous." Ash replied, his voice casual again. "I think **two** raiders and an army of synths stand more than a chance against your army of tin cans."

There was a pause and then Frost sounded closer like she was now holding the receiver close. "Synths as in synthetic humans?"

"Those would be the ones, yes." Ash replied, watching Gage get up and come back with a bottle of alcohol from the fridge and two glasses. He took his cup when Gage offered it to him and took a sip.

"Alright, Overboss, you've been awful indulgent so far, so why don't you enlighten me as to how a raider is currently in possession of an army of synths?" Frost asked, tone suspicious now.

"Oh, did I forget to mention I'm also the acting Director of the Institute?" Ash asked, his tone light, bordering playful as his leg swayed a bit. "Silly me. I have so many titles now, it's hard to keep them straight sometimes." He said, ignoring the way Gage shook his head and mouthed something probably disparaging.

There was another pause and then Frost sighed like she was dealing with a difficult child, which definitely rubbed Ash in all the wrong ways. "Alright. I don't know if you're high or just delusional, but you have three days to return this frequency to the Brotherhood of Steel. If I don't hear from Elder Maxson by then, my forces will march on the Commonwealth and after confirming that the Prydwen is still under Brotherhood control, we'll go raider-hunting until we find you."

"Ooh, fun." Ash replied, still grinning despite the bit of annoyance he was feeling at Frost's general personality. "See you all in three days, then." He then flicked off the radio and cracked his knuckles, not particularly caring that only about three knuckles actually cracked. "Looks like we're going to war."

"Yeah, I figured it was just about inevitable once you got your hands on this blimp." Gage said, sipping his drink and looking at Ash. "Also, ya really only got two titles and you don't even use one of 'em."

"Shut up, I was having a moment." Ash pouted, swatting Gage's arm and standing from his chair. "Now, we have three days to prepare and then the Brotherhood has to get here, so that'll probably take even more time. I think that's plenty of time to prepare."

"Should be." Gage muttered, standing as well and setting his drink aside.

When Gage didn't add anything to that and seemed to zone out, Ash frowned. "Gage? Are you mad at me?" He asked, tilting his head a little when Gage focused on him and shook his head before looking away.

"Not so long as you don't try to make me stay behind." He replied, looking thoughtful.

"Of course not!" Ash said, shaking his head like the thought was absurd. "I wouldn't dream of going to war without my hubby by my side. I mean, what was even the point of letting you get blessed if I don't ever get to use my new powers around you?"

"I mean, bein' immune to rads has plenty of practical uses outside of war, but-" Gage started, trailing off with a small smile as Ash rolled his eyes at him.

"Yes, okay, lots of boring real-world reasons, but also the one big, fun one." Ash replied, tapping his foot on the floor a bit as he looked around the room. "Think a conference table would fit in the cockpit? I don't think it'll fit in here."

"What do we need a conference table for?" Gage asked, frowning but also looking amused.

"I wanna get Skye in and talk about tactics. I think the three of us'll be able to figure out the best way to wipe the Brotherhood out quickly and brutally." Ash replied, leaving their room and heading over to the ladder that would take him down to the cockpit. "You have practical knowledge, Skye has technical knowledge, and I'm just really good at killing things. Together, we'll have a kickass strategy banged out in no time."

Snorting softly and following Ash down into the cockpit, Gage nodded. "Yeah, I think a conference table'll fit in here just fine."

About an hour and a half later, Ash, Gage, and Skye were all standing around a large table in the cockpit that had a map of post-war America on it. Skye was on one end studying the map and Ash and Gage were on the other, Ash with a marker and Gage with a pensive frown. They hadn't been at this long, but they hadn't really come up with anything all three of them could agree was a solid plan yet.

Skye had suggested simply relaying an army of synths into Brotherhood territory and wiping them out in an ambush, Gage had been unsurprisingly on board with that one, but Ash refused to let his synths have all the fun. Gage had suggested a different ambush approach in which they waited for the Brotherhood to arrive and then relayed the army, and themselves, in. Skye had been surprisingly supportive of that one, but Ash didn't like the idea of letting the Brotherhood get so far into his terf. Ash was aware he was the main problem with both of those, but that's why they were all there.

"So if we ain't gonna go to them and we ain't gonna let 'em come to us-" Gage started, his frown only growing more pronounced.

"I never said I didn't like the idea of going to them, I'm just not letting the synths have all the fun." Ash interrupted, glancing at Gage before returning his attention to the map. "And the only thing wrong with your sit and wait approach is that I don't want those fuckers anywhere near my settlements."

"If I could make a suggestion?" Skye cut in, also looking over the map.

"That's what you're here for." Ash said, raising an eyebrow at Skye.

"The synths are immune to radiation as you and Mr. Reeves are." They started, pointing at one spot on the map up near the Canadian border. "The Great Lakes are highly radioactive. If we met the Brotherhood of Steel near the Great Lakes, it would give you an unlimited source of radiation to utilize _and_ keep them away from your settlements."

"That's a good idea." Ash hummed, circling the lakes with his marker and drawing a quick radioactive symbol near them.

"We don't know for sure the Brotherhood'll pass close enough to the Great Lakes for that to work out." Gage interjected, also looking the map over. "The Capital Wasteland is up here, but we're over here. Goin' straight across like that probably wouldn't be the most efficient path." He said, pointing out the locations on the map and dragging his finger across to illustrate his point as he spoke.

Skye hummed and Ash chewed on his bottom lip a bit. "Do we know if there are any notable occupations that might keep the Brotherhood from taking anything but a straight path?"

"According to my most recent intel, no." Skye admitted, looking down at the map again. The room was quiet for a bit before Ash spoke up again.

"What about flying to the Citadel instead of relaying?" He asked, tapping his marker on the table. "Could Armageddon get us to the Capital Wasteland in three days?"

Pausing, Skye straightened up a bit and took a moment to think before nodding slowly. "I believe so." They answered, looking to Ash. "In fact, if my calculations are correct, it should only take us two days."

"How quickly will that team you sent for those nukes be back?" Ash asked, ceasing his tapping when Gage placed a hand over his own.

Looking down at their wrist device, Skye poked around a bit before looking to Ash again. "The team is relaying the bombs into the bays as we speak. They'll be finished within the hour."

"Bet we could squeeze in a quick stop over the lakes for you to fuel up on the way over there." Gage added, looking over at Ash and shrugging at the surprised look he was giving him. "I'm still not alright with you bein' a walkin' nuke now, but you don't gotta detonate. You said you could use the powers some other way."

Smiling brightly, Ash looked back down at the map. "So, we'll take one of the vertibirds with us. We'll go from here to the Great Lakes, I'll fly down on the vertibird and fuel up with as much rads as I can hold, and then we'll get back on course to the Capital Wastes. Once we're there, me and Gage'll head down in the vertibird, I'll shower the battlefield in radiation, and then the synths can come down and help us pick off whoever doesn't die quick enough." He looked up, looking between Gage and Skye. "Sound like a solid plan?"

"Affirmative." Skye said, giving a firm nod and taking Ash's marker to dot the path they'd be taking so they could get the route to the pilot.

"Solid as it's gonna get." Gage agreed, smiling at Ash. "Can't believe we're goin' to war with the Brotherhood."

"I know right?" Ash said excitedly, practically bouncing on his heels. "I'm finally gonna get to beat my record for most deaths in a day."

Snorting, Gage shook his head and wrapped an arm around Ash's shoulders. "Not what I meant, but yeah, that too." He conceded, smiling at how excited Ash was. Then he frowned again, suddenly thinking of something. "Hey, uh, how do we know the Brotherhood won't shoot us outta the sky when they see us comin'?" He asked, looking over with a raised eyebrow when Skye scoffed. They very nearly looked insulted.

"Armageddon is technologically superior to its predecessor in every way. Whatever the Brotherhood may have in the way of anti-aircraft weaponry, Armageddon can handle it." They said, sounding quite sure of themself.

"Well, that's good enough for me." Ash declared as Skye and Gage stared eachother down. "Inform me once the synths are finished loading the bombs. Dismissed." Skye broke eye-contact with Gage to nod once at Ash and left the room.

"Is it insensitive to call them a dick?" Gage asked once Skye was gone.

"Probably, but you're not wrong, so who cares?" Ash responded, getting a smile out of Gage and smiling back. "We'll need to pack for the trip. I also need to get that small army of synths that I mentioned ready to go."

Adjusting his hold on Ash so he could use the Pip-Boy, Gage watched over his shoulder as Ash typed in commands, paying attention to which tabs he went to and how the command was put in just in case he ever had to give the synths an order for some reason. It looked simple enough but Ash had a way of making tech-related things look simple. Gage had seen him hack terminals before, after all, and it hardly ever took him longer than a couple of minutes where Gage had never been able to wrap his head around it. Then again, he'd set up a relay correctly after only ever watching Ash do it, so maybe putting in commands was as simple as it looked.

Speaking of relays, Ash triggered the one he'd just set up and both men found themselves inside Sanctum. "Think I should tell the gang leaders what I'm doing?" Ash asked, craning his neck back to look up at Gage.

Humming a bit in thought, Gage nodded. "Probably. Just in case. We do have some time to kill, after all." He replied, stretching a bit so he could kiss Ash on the forehead. "We should probably eat soon too. It's gettin' kinda late."

Giggling softly and nodding, Ash straightened up and started up the stairs to their room. "Alright. We'll eat while we get packed up, then we'll grab Daisy so she can come with us, and we'll go let the gang leaders know what we're up to."

"Sounds like a plan, boss." Gage said, following Ash up the stairs and getting a duffle bag and his pack loaded up with supplies for the trip. Ash also used a duffle bag in addition to his pack even though Gage was almost entirely sure anything Ash wanted to bring would fit in his pack. He still wasn't sure if it was magical or some sort of science he'd never understand, all Gage knew for sure was that that stupid pack was bottomless.

"Hey, Gage?" Ash suddenly called between cramming down mouthfuls of his unsatisfying savory dinner and stuffing clothes into his duffle bag. "I think it's fair to say I own this corner of the Wasteland, right?"

"I think anyone who disagrees might end up eatin' lead, so yeah, pretty fair." Gage replied, looking over at Ash. "Why?"

"What do you think about expanding to the Capital Wasteland? I mean, we're heading over there anyway and once we take out the Brotherhood, the whole area will be unoccupied." Ash said, pausing in his stuffing as he rambled and quickly choking down the last of his food. "I bet there's a ton of trade routes we could profit from if we could just get a foothold and get enough raiders over there to keep it." When Gage didn't reply right away, Ash looked over and raised an eyebrow at the look Gage was giving him.

"Have I mentioned lately how much I love you?" Gage asked, looking at Ash adoringly. While Gage wasn't into the whole mass-murdering part of Ash's plan, which wasn't to say murder wasn't fun and didn't have its own charm, just that _mass_-murder was really more Ash's thing, he was most definitely into the hostile take-over part. For all Gage had always thought of himself as fairly ambitious, Ash had him beaten in the ambition category and that was definitely one of Gage's favorite things about him.

Smiling broadly, Ash looked away and kept packing his clothes. "Yeah, I thought you'd like that plan." He said happily, zipping up his duffle bag and setting it down with his pack. "Maybe once we get ahold of the Capital, we could work on establishing a route from Nuka-World to the Citadel." Ash hummed, mulling the idea over even as he shared it. "Take a little piece of each territory we pass through until we have the route secured and then work our way outwards until we have the whole American Wasteland under our thumbs." He laughed a little and turned to look at Gage. "I mean-" Ash was interrupted as Gage suddenly cupped his face with both hands and kissed him hard.

After a brief moment of being stunned by the sudden kiss, Ash kissed Gage back, his smaller hands coming up to cup Gage's. When Gage pulled away, he shook his head at Ash, smirking down at him. "We ain't even won the war against the Brotherhood yet and you're already settin' your sights on the rest of the Wasteland." He muttered, more in love than he knew how to properly express.

"I mean, who's gonna stop us?" Ash asked, finishing his thought from earlier as he smiled dazedly at Gage. "I've been looking at the reports of new recruits to the gangs and our numbers are only growing. We were probably gonna need to expand again soon anyway."

"Hell, I'm sold." Gage said, pulling Ash close by the waist. "I never thought I'd say this, but let's take over the Wasteland."

Grinning broadly, Ash looped his arms around Gage's neck and pulled him down for another kiss. Before things could get any further than that, both men got back to work, Gage focusing on his meal while Ash packed for him. Once they were both done, Ash lured Daisy to the room with radstag heart and Gage helped him wrangle her into her harness. She was big now, but she was still young and still behaved like it, her enthusiasm for getting harnessed for a walk off the charts. Still, once she had the harness on, she calmed down and became fairly manageable for said walk. As young and enthusiastic as Daisy was, she was still well-trained enough to know to behave once the harness was on.

While Gage slid on the metal glove that allowed him to handle Daisy without getting his arm ripped off now that she was bigger and much stronger than him, Ash piled up their bags together and connected them all with a metal relay bracelet. He set the bracelet to take the bags to Armageddon and then took Gage's hand so they could go to Nuka-World. Shank had finally become desensitized enough to Ash and Gage suddenly appearing that he didn't do more than glance up as they appeared. He nodded in greeting but straightened up and came a step closer when Ash approached.

"Something up, boss?" Shank asked lowly, raising an eyebrow at Ash.

"I need you to gather as much information as possible about the trade routes from here to the Citadel in the Capital Wasteland." Ash replied, grinning at the naked surprise and confusion that instantly took over Shank's cool facade.

"Sure, sure." Shank said, getting control of his features quickly. "What for?"

As much as he knew Shank shouldn't question him and that he himself didn't have any obligation to tell him, Ash had been hoping he'd ask that. "I'm going to war with the West Coast chapter of the Brotherhood of Steel and taking the Citadel for Nuka-World. After that, I'll be taking over enough turf to establish a safe route for our traders." He explained, grinning as the surprise returned to Shank's face. "I need you to get me information on the already established routes so I can decide which bits of turf I'll need to take first. Of course you'll be paid handsomely for whatever information you can dig up."

"Right." Shank breathed, an uncharacteristic grin splitting his face. He glanced at Gage and laughed softly at whatever reaction he got before returning his attention to Ash. "I'll start digging right away and have it all ready by the time you get back."

Nodding once, Ash left with Gage, grinning at Gage once they got a fair distance away. "What was that little exchange over my shoulder?" He asked, raising a curious eyebrow at his husband.

"I mighta been braggin' a little." Gage replied, smirking at Ash. "We're more powerful than we ever dreamed under you and we're only gettin' stronger." Reaching out, Gage wrapped an arm around Ash's waist and pulled him just shy of close enough to mess up his walking momentum. "And you're all mine."

"You got all that across in the time it took for him to glance over at you?" Ash asked, a laugh in his voice and a hand sliding into one of the back pockets of Gage's jeans.

"He was already thinkin' all that, I just had to bounce my eyebrows at him to get across the braggin' bit." Gage replied, smiling when Ash laughed and shook his head.

"You're lucky I'm into that whole possessive thing you have going on." Ash said, looking around happily as they made their way into the Zoo. It was even prettier inside the Zoo now that Nuka-World's main power was up and running. Now that the Pack didn't have to worry about power-consumption restrictions, they'd gone truly overboard with colorful, twinkling fairy lights. It made the smell of animal droppings and the general odour that tended to linger around Pack members specifically much more bearable.

"Boss!" Tabs shouted, getting off her throne as Ash approached and gravitating towards Daisy. Daisy recognized Tabs and perked up instantly, really hamming up what she knew got her the most attention and happily eating the strips of jerky her antics earned her. "Somethin' I can do for you?"

"Not exactly." Ash replied, smiling at Daisy as she happily rubbed herself against Tabs in an affectionate gesture that she'd learned from Nubs. "I'm planning on expanding to the Capital Wasteland, so I need you to get together at most fifty of your people to ship over for when I establish our main Capital outpost." He explained, smile morphing into a grin as Tabs' eyes widened, getting jerked out of her surprise as Daisy trilled impatiently at the piece of jerky Tabs had been about to give her. "You can assign a secondary Alpha for the new outpost or try to keep control remotely. Whatever works for you."

"Wow." Tabs said, rubbing Daisy's head affectionately as she chewed on her treat. "How long do I have to get everything together?"

"A week at least. Probably more than that, though, I'm not really sure." Ash replied, waving his hand dismissively at Tabs. "Don't worry about it. I won't be moving everyone into the new outpost until every gang is ready. You'll have plenty of time."

Nodding, Tabs laughed, sounding surprised and pleased. "Alright, sure thing." She said, grinning at Ash. "Hell of a step forward."

"The new Capital outpost isn't even the half of it." Ash replied cryptically, grinning at Tabs and turning to leave.

"Oh, what!?" Tabs shouted as Ash and Gage started leaving. "No! You can't just-!" Groaning loudly as Ash just kept walking, Tabs huffed out a grudging laugh. "Fine! See you around, boss!" Tabs simply got a wave over Ash's shoulder and she laughed again, shaking her head at the Overboss' theatrical secrecy. Dick.

Next up were the Operators. Mags and William were playing cards with a few of the other Operators when Ash and Gage came in and Daisy went for one of the randos instead of William this time. They started when she bumped her horned head against their hip but calmed down quickly and took the rare opportunity to pet a deathclaw as Ash pulled Mags' and William's attention, effectively pausing their game as they left the table.

"To what do we owe the pleasure, Overboss?" Mags asked pleasantly, glancing over as the whole table took the sudden break as an opportunity to pet the friendly deathclaw. Gage was watching over the interaction carefully for any signs that Daisy might be getting overwhelmed, but she was just happily hamming it up and enjoying the attention.

"We're expanding our operation into the Capital Wasteland, so I need you to get together at most fifty of your people to ship over for when I establish our main Capital outpost." Ash informed, smiling a bit when Mags grinned, looking quite pleased at this news. "It's up to you if you wanna assign someone to be in charge at the new outpost or if you wanna try to lead remotely."

Mags and William shared a look and then looked at Ash again, both of them now looking quite pleased. "I think I have someone in mind for that." She replied, sounding excited though keeping up her quiet, posh voice. "If you don't mind my asking, what brought this on?" She asked, sounding sincerely interested.

Shrugging, Ash decided to keep up the unnecessary mystery he had going on. "Let's just say we stand to make alot of caps from this and leave my reasoning at that." He replied cryptically, managing to keep from smiling too much when Mags narrowed her eyes just a bit and hummed.

"Very well." She replied, giving Ash a nod. "Caps _are_ as good as reason as any."

"Probably the best reason, anyway." William agreed, eyeing Ash just as curiously as Mags.

Offering the siblings a hum, Ash glanced over to see Daisy getting belly scratches. "Well, as much as I hate to interrupt that, that was all I had." He informed, looking back at Mags and William. They both gave him a nod and a polite goodbye and Ash collected Gage and Daisy, heading for the Disciples next. Daisy was practically bouncing along, clearly very pleased from all the attention she'd just gotten from the Operators. Ash laughed softly at how happy she was and opened the door to Fizztop.

Coughing once as the smell hit him, Ash looked around and walked over to the little shack where he'd met with Nisha the last time. Gage had a similar reaction, but Daisy perked up, likely smelling food where the two humans only smelled rot. Gage heard Ash sigh from where he was waiting near the entrance and chuckled softly when Ash walked over to the ramps with his shoulders slumped.

"Up the fuckin' ramps, then." Ash muttered as he passed Gage, shooting him a glare when Gage chuckled again. "Shut up, you'd be sad if I stopped wearing the heels." Gage pursed his lips as he thought it over briefly and then nodded, making Ash smile. "Come on." Ash said, making his way up the ramps as fast as he could without risking breaking his ankles or the heels of his boots. They arrived at the top of the ramps eventually and Ash located Nisha, relaxing in the shack without her boy-toy or Dixie.

"Ah, Overboss." Nisha greeted, ceasing in picking at her nails with her knife. "Dixie's out."

"I was looking for you, actually." Ash replied, raising an eyebrow at Nisha. "I'll be expanding into the Capital Wasteland soon, so I need you to get together at most fifty of your gals to ship over for when I establish our main Capital outpost." He explained, realizing when he heard noisy crunching outside that Gage was outside the shack with Daisy. "How you wanna handle the leadership is up to you. Assign someone or try to do it remote, I don't care either way."

Humming in interest, Nisha nodded. "You know, you surprise me. I was wrong about you."

Blinking once in surprise, Ash smiled in confused amusement. "Do I wanna know what you thought of me before?" He asked uncertainly, standing his ground even as Nisha stood and walked right up to him. He may or may not have been needing to repeat _"I'm a married man"_ to himself in his head as he tried not to have any inappropriate thoughts about the dangerous woman invading his personal bubble.

"You seemed soft." Nisha said, apparently not afraid of getting stabbed, for good reason, Ash realized, deciding he _was_ soft. "I didn't think you'd last as long as you have, figured someone would off you and try to take your place." She carried on, putting a hand on her hip and smirking. "Turns out you were made for this life."

Managing to hide all of his bisexual panic, Ash snorted and shook his head at Nisha. "Well, rude, but I get it, I guess." He replied, getting a soft laugh from Nisha. "Anyway, I just wanted to tell you about the expansion."

"Right. I'll have my girls ready to go by the time you get back." Nisha guaranteed, brushing past Ash and busting Daisy crunching away on a leg bone outside.

"Daisy likes your decorations." Gage greeted, raising an eyebrow when Nisha smiled.

"She has good taste. Like her dad." She said, glancing back at Ash when he exited the shack and then moving past both men.

"That- that was fuckin' weird." Gage muttered, frowning at Ash.

"Yeah." Ash agreed, shrugging a bit. "I think maybe she finally likes me." He said, a perplexed frown playing his face. "Either that or she's planning my assassination."

Snorting, Gage shook his head. "It took her long enough, either way." He said, shrugging when Ash gaped at him. "I mean, it's been awhile since you took over." He defended, shrugging again. "I ain't sayin' I hope she's tryin' to assassinate you or anythin', just that, if she is, it took her long enough to decide to."

Scoffing softly, Ash walked over and stretched out Gage's Pip-Boy arm. "If she actually assassinates me, I'm going to haunt you." He promised, as he set up a relay.

"Yeah, alright, I deserve that." Gage muttered, frowning even as he accepted Ash's threat. Ash flashed him a playful smile that Gage returned before the younger man triggered the relay back to Sanctum.

It was around one in the morning by then but Ash decided he needed a moment to explain to Nubs and Daisy what he and Gage would be up to despite Gage's halfhearted informing that they didn't understand. He found it cute and smiled the whole time despite his protests. Then they relayed up to Armageddon and made their way to their quarters at the back of the second level of the airship and stripped down before getting into bed. Ash slept in oversized pajama pants that barely managed to stay on his hips and Gage slept in his boxers and nothing else.

It was somewhat difficult for the two men to fall asleep with all the noise inside Armageddon. There was the sound of synths busy at work on various tasks and then the constant dull hum of the engines. The room was dark, though, and the bed was warm and comfortable even though it was unfamiliar, so Ash and Gage fell asleep eventually, Gage going under first and Ash following soon after. The trill of the alarm came several hours later and both men got dressed and moved to the mess hall for breakfast.

After breakfast, Ash suggested they head to the cockpit to watch the Wasteland go by and Gage agreed. It was around three in the afternoon when a greyish blue mist started to form on the horizon, condensing into more of a fog than a mist the closer they got. Then the Pip-Boy on Gage's wrist chimed and he tore his gaze from the window to look down at the device. "That fog is the lakes." He muttered, lowering the Pip-Boy. "It's time for us to board the vertibird."

Nodding, Ash held up a pill to Gage, having retrieved it from his pack when they'd returned to the cockpit from lunch not that long ago. "I know you're supposed to be immune to radiation, but I thought you'd want to be extra sure." He explained, smiling when Gage took the pill and swallowed it dry easily.

"Doesn't hurt to be too sure." Gage said, returning Ash's smile and following him out to the flight deck. They were instantly assaulted by an intense smell coming from the fog they were slowly but surely flying into. Ash hummed lightly at the smell but Gage gagged and covered his mouth and nose with his hand.

"You don't like it?" Ash asked, frowning in confusion when Gage shook his head. "Huh. I think it smells pretty good." He muttered, looking out at the fog. "Why don't you go get your respirator? I'll wait right here."

"You sure you don't want yours?" Gage asked, his voice muffled by his hand. When Ash gave him a nod, Gage hurried back inside and came out a moment later with his respirator firmly in place. He sighed in relief when he breathed in and didn't smell the fog.

Laughing softly, Ash boarded the single vertibird they'd brought and waited for Gage to join him before signaling for the pilot to go. "I guess I like it because I'm Atom's Harbinger or whatever." He said, having to talk louder to be heard over the sound of the vertibird starting up.

"It smells like stale water, radiation, and rotten plants." Gage informed, holding onto Ash's hips like last time as Ash held onto the gatling laser on the door.

"I don't really know what it smells like to me." Ash said, breathing in deeply and humming again. "It sort of smells chemical and it's kinda strong, but- I dunno, I like it." He felt Gage laugh more than he heard it and he glanced back to see Gage looking down at him.

"Well, we're both showerin' once we get outta this whether you like it or not." He said, smiling under his mask when Ash smiled at him.

"Fair." Ash replied, looking back over the fog and catching his first glimpse of the black water of one of the lakes as the vertibird lowered. He wasn't exactly sure if the radiation absorbing thing was automatic or if it was something he had to focus on, but he didn't feel any different as they hovered there above the water. Suddenly Ash got an idea and looked back at Gage again. "Lemme see the Pip-Boy." He said, taking the device from Gage as he snapped it off and clipping it onto himself.

"I thought it couldn't measure your rads anymore." Gage said over the shrill beep that Ash cut off much more quickly than last time.

"It can't, but it can still tell me my temperature." Ash replied, looking down at the Pip-Boy and seeing that his temperature was indeed rising steadily. "Do I feel any warmer to you?" He asked, glancing back at Gage. Gage shook his head, brows furrowed as he watched the counter on the Pip-Boy tick higher and higher. "I don't feel any warmer to me either." Ash said, looking back down at the Pip-Boy and raising an eyebrow as his internal temperature reached one-hundred fifty degrees. It was still climbing.

"Maybe you don't have a cap." Gage suggested, a frown in his voice.

"Maybe." Ash mumbled, trying to focus on how he was feeling. He didn't want to make himself sick or something, after all, so any little change was probably worth noting. Ash felt good though. He felt energized, in fact. Just short of jittery, really. Two-hundred degrees. The number was still climbing. "That's enough, take us back up." Ash shouted over to the pilot, not missing Gage's sigh of relief as they started to ascend out of the fog and back up to Armageddon.

Once they'd reboarded Armageddon, which took quite a bit of careful maneuvering on the pilot's part, Ash and Gage made their way to the communal showers. Their room had a bathroom, but the shower was tiny and Gage wasn't keen on the idea of trailing the smell of the fog into the room they'd be sleeping in for the next two days. It was during that shower that Gage realized he really was spoiled from living in Sanctum. The water pressure on Armageddon was shit compared to Sanctum and he found himself actually noticing. Not minding, necessarily, but definitely noticing.

Luckily, mysteriously appearing clean clothes were as abundant on Armageddon as in Sanctum, so Gage didn't have to go traipsing through the airship in a towel. Ash would've done it naked, his lack of shame something Gage admired about him even when he was shaking his head and scolding him for being shameless. He never meant the scolding seriously, anyway, and Ash knew that. Besides, they both knew Gage liked looking when Ash decided to start stripping or walk around naked.

Now clean and fully clothed, Ash and Gage made their way back to the cockpit to keep watching the Wasteland go by underneath them. A love of heights was something they shared, so when Ash climbed the little railing in front of the windows to sit on the sturdy, reinforced glass, Gage joined him, the two raiders holding hands and simply enjoying the view on the way to slaughter an entire army-worth of people. It would be a bit of time yet before they arrived, so there was plenty of time to do so and both men planned on taking advantage of every moment.

A day and a half of traveling later, Armageddon was nearing the massive fortress that was the Citadel. Ash and Gage were already boarded on the vertibird that was docked but ready to go and suddenly Armageddon's speakers crackled on. Ash grinned and Gage raised an eyebrow at him. "Soldiers of the Brotherhood of Steel!" Came Ash's prerecorded voice, a mocking tone in his voice as he mimicked the speech the Brotherhood had blared over the Commonwealth when they'd arrived so long ago. "Retaliate if you dare! Our intentions are hostile!" There was a long pause in which Ash flashed his grin at Gage, who rolled his eyes and shook his head though Ash could tell he was smiling behind his respirator. "We are- Armageddon!" The speaker crackled off and Ash laughed, turning his attention to the pilot and giving the signal to take off.

The pilot obeyed and the vertibird shook as it dropped from its dock and started to fly them out over the Citadel. This time, instead of being behind Ash, Gage was on one of the gatling lasers, prepared to do some firing into the crowd once he started spotting soldiers. Ash was also on a gun, but his eyes were closed as he focused on a mental image of greyish blue smoke covering the battlefield. The laser fire started up, both from the ground and across from Ash as Gage started returning fire, but he kept his eyes closed, not really sure how to activate his powers but hoping focusing on what he wanted to happen would work.

"I was right about them havin' missiles." Gage grunted, the earpieces he and Ash were wearing allowing Ash to hear him. "Guess I'm gonna have to let Skye tell me they told me so when we get back up to Armageddon, though, cuz they ain't even gettin' close to us. Whoever's usin' the laser up on Armageddon's got great aim." Ash simply smiled, trying to keep on-task until Gage's voice pulled his focus again. "Think you should take a look at this, boss."

Eyes blinking open, Ash looked down and gasped in happiness at the blanket of dense fog hanging over the Citadel. "It worked!" He said happily, hearing Gage's soft chuckle in his ear and finally taking aim with his gatling laser. It was nearly impossible to see anything through the fog, but stray laser beams kept coming up through the haze as the no-doubt panicking Brotherhood soldiers tried to fire at an enemy they couldn't see and that's where Ash and Gage aimed.

Eventually the laser fire died down and Ash switched the frequency on his earpiece. "Lower us." He told the pilot, switching back over to Gage's frequency as the vertibird started moving down. "Ready, love?"

"Ready, darlin'." Gage confirmed, following Ash down into the fog once the vertibird stabilized and the pilot signaled the distance from the ground to be safe. Ash drew Sin Cannon and Gage triggered the relay to call in the synths waiting up on Armageddon before drawing Hellfire. The blue flashes of the relays cut briefly through the fog covering the battlefield and the laser-fire started up again as the remaining Brotherhood soldiers tried to fight despite it being painfully clear they were going to lose.

"Sounds like some of them are still breathing." Ash said, grinning and cocking his shotgun.

"Sure does." Gage agreed, cocking his own gun and following Ash further into the fog. They passed dozens of corpses that had been clearly cooked alive by the rads that had been rained down on the battlefield and Gage was glad he had his respirator on. He couldn't imagine how it all must smell. The chemical smell of radiation mixed with the smell of burnt flesh and hair. It was probably nauseating.

Finding the smell no more nauseating than the smell of rotting corpses, which he was pretty much used to by now, Ash easily carried on without a mask while he hunted down the remaining Brotherhood soldiers. As anticipated, most of those surviving soldiers were in power armor. What was unexpected was that some of the survivors weren't. Apparently some of Atom's chosen had made their way into the Brotherhood of Steel. They died the same as their armored comrades though, a blast from Sin Cannon or a shot from Hellfire spelling their doom in lead. The armored soldiers took a bit more chipping away at to go down, but that was the reason Ash had agreed to let the synths help.

All in all, the war between Armageddon and the entire West Coast chapter of the Brotherhood of Steel was over in a little over an hour. The fog had mostly dissipated with the picked up wind of a coming storm by then, but Ash also absorbed some of it back without really meaning to, replenishing the radiation stores he'd depleted over the Citadel. Once the battlefield was laid bare and illuminated by what sunlight was left peaking through the clouds beginning to blot the sky, Ash could tell this was indeed his largest slaughter yet. There were easily hundreds of corpses on the battlefield. Mostly adults, a few dogs, and even fewer children all dead because their leader picked a fight with the wrong teenager.

Taking a deep breath, Ash let it out slow and grinned calmly. "**That** was fun." He declared, shooting his grin back at Gage who was just taking off his respirator.

Flashing Ash a grin of his own, Gage nodded and looked around at all the bodies. "Wasn't much of a fight. I'm startin' to think you really might be unstoppable." He said, glancing up at the sky as the first fat drops of rain started to come down.

"Took you long enough." Ash teased, suddenly getting an idea and sticking his tongue out for a raindrop. When one hit his tongue, he cringed on instinct but then he grinned happily. "Yes! Rain tastes good again!" He cheered, spinning around in the quickly worsening storm. He still remembered when he'd caught a raindrop on his tongue after his first encounter with the Brotherhood of Steel and how it had tasted like battery acid and piss. Now rain tasted like rain again.

Laughing softly, Gage shook his head at Ash. He didn't really like being wet, but Ash was having fun dancing around under the rain and after their victory, he couldn't bring himself to get him to go inside. They could get cleaned up and dried off once Ash had his fun. Gage would live until then. If going to war with the fucking Brotherhood of Steel and being around Ash in general hadn't killed him yet, a little rain certainly wasn't going to.


End file.
